Finland's parliament has now approved the agreement on defense cooperation with the USA, reports Finnish media.
No voting was needed since the parliament was unanimous.
Finland's DCA agreement with the USA – of the same kind as Sweden has also entered into – was signed already in December. In April, the Finnish Chancellor of Justice, however, assessed that the agreement made certain encroachments on the constitution regarding the new powers of the American military on Finnish soil.
The government's bill needed to be complemented, he stated.
The DCA agreement gives the USA access to fifteen bases and training areas in Finland. To some of the areas, only Americans will have access.
The agreement also gives the USA the opportunity to store weapons and ammunition in Finland.
The DCA largely follows NATO's agreement, NATO SOFA, on the status of NATO member states' forces in another NATO country's territory.
Sweden entered into a DCA agreement with the USA at the beginning of December, and shortly thereafter, Denmark and Finland followed with their own agreements. Sweden's Chancellor of Justice had no comments as a referral body in the Swedish process.
