President leaves for UK to attend JEF summit

President Sauli Niinistö will travel to London to attend the JEF (Joint Expeditionary Force) Leaders' Summit scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, said the President´s Office in a press release on Saturday.

The meeting is intended to discuss the war in Ukraine and the security situation in Europe.

The meeting is being held on the initiative of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson and representatives from all ten countries involved in JEF defence cooperation have been invited.

Niinistö will also hold bilateral meetings during the summit.

JEF, is a UK-led multilateral framework for defence cooperation formed by ten countries: The United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Estonia.

The aim is to develop the military capabilities of the participating countries through joint exercises, prevent various crises and, if necessary, act together in crisis situations.

JEF's main operating environment is Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea region.

The JEF leaders last met by remote connection on 25 February 2022, the press release added.