Finland to participate in NATO crisis management exercises

Finland is to participate in a series of crisis management exercises with NATO and its partners, starting Wednesday.
The non-military training drills will last from March 4 to 10.
The week-long war games will be based on a fictitious scenario during which conflict breaks out between two distant states, resulting in humanitarian and maritime security implications.
According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, Finland will participate in crisis management arrangements as well as national operations planning and decision-making.
NATO’s crisis management exercise CMX 2015 will involve Finnish foreign ministry and NATO mission representatives from Brussels, the defence ministry, military high command, the office of the prime minister as well as other officials as required.
The exercises will not see the deployment of troops and does not involve a physical theatre of war.
CMX is NATO’s regular decision-making and consultation exercise; partners will be participating for the sixth time this year. Finland has also taken part in the five previous training drills in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011 2012.
Related stories from around the North:
Finland: Sweden and Finland to bolster military co-operation, YLE News
Norway: Norway, Russia committed to Barents cooperation, despite divisions over Ukarine, Barents Observer
Russia: More marines for Russia’s Northern Fleet, Blog by Mia Bennett
Sweden: Sweden’s government scared of NATO facts: Moderates Party, Radio Sweden
United States: Pentagon: Climate change is national security risk, Barents Observer