Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen of the National Coalition Party (NCP) signed the agreement on Finland’s behalf during a visit to Japan this week, according to Finland’s Ministry of Defence. Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi signed on behalf of Japan.
Häkkänen said the agreement could create new commercial opportunities for Finnish defence manufacturers and technology companies, particularly through closer cooperation with Japanese partners.
“I would like to thank the Japanese Minister of Defence for the good negotiation process. The agreement will open up significant growth opportunities for our defence industry and technology companies,” Häkkänen said in a statement released by the ministry.
He also highlighted the importance of cooperation between democratic countries as they respond to changes in the international security environment.
“The international security environment requires democratic countries to cooperate more closely in the development of the defence industry and technology. Japan is an important partner for Finland,” he said.
According to the Finnish Ministry of Defence, the agreement establishes the terms and conditions for transferring defence equipment and technology between the two countries. It provides a framework for potential cooperation in research, development and production, with projects to be coordinated by a joint committee representing Finland and Japan.
The agreement could provide a basis for Finnish and Japanese companies to explore opportunities in defence technology, including projects that involve developing or producing equipment together. However, the agreement itself does not confirm that specific commercial contracts or joint production projects have been concluded.
Häkkänen’s visit, which ran from 26 to 28 October, also included a business delegation representing 20 Finnish companies working in defence and dual-use technologies. Dual-use technologies are products or systems that can serve both civilian and military purposes.
The participating companies were scheduled to present their technologies at business seminars and meetings with Japanese counterparts, with the aim of identifying commercial opportunities and potential partnerships. The visit brought together government-level discussions and efforts to help Finnish businesses establish or expand their presence in the Japanese market.
During the visit, Häkkänen also met Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. In a statement issued on 26 October, Japan’s Ministry of Defence said the two ministers welcomed the signing of the agreement and agreed to advance cooperation on defence equipment and technology. They also discussed their respective security policies and agreed to deepen defence cooperation, describing security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions as closely connected.
The new agreement builds on efforts by Finland and Japan to strengthen their defence relationship. The two countries have been exploring closer cooperation in defence equipment and advanced technologies, with potential areas of interest including unmanned systems, communications, cybersecurity and space-related technologies.
For Finland, the agreement offers a framework for expanding defence industry cooperation with a partner in Asia. For Japan, it creates a formal basis for transferring defence equipment and technology with Finland under agreed conditions. The next step will be to identify and approve specific projects that can turn the framework into practical cooperation.
