Stubb says that Finland is adhering to the number of forces that it currently has in crisis management duties in Afghanistan, whereas Väyrynen wants Finland to withdraw from Afghanistan in the next Parliamentary term. He also wants to continue to define Finland’s position in the world as that of a neutral country.
Social Democratic MP and former Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, meanwhile, sees Finland as militarily non-aligned. Stubb rejects the views of both Väyrynen and Tuomioja. He says that Finland’s official policy line is that it is a country that is not a member of a military alliance.
The three debated the issue on Thursday at the Finland Arena event in Pori.
