New rules will ease entry for Swedish and Norwegian military vehicles

Swedish and Norwegian military vehicles will be able to enter Finland more easily under a new regulation, Yle reports. The rules will remove special inspection procedures at the border and introduce the same approach at ports and airports.

Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen has decided to issue the regulation on the use of Finnish Defence Forces vehicles. It is due to take effect at the start of next year.

The change is intended to improve military mobility and reduce the resources needed to coordinate vehicle movements between countries, said Kosti Honkanen, a senior government secretary at the Ministry of Defence. Differences in vehicle-loading rules have sometimes slowed crossings: Sweden’s rules differ from Finland’s, which are stricter, and Swedish loads have had to be split across several vehicles at the border.

Honkanen said a Swedish military vehicle will be able to continue into Finland with its load under the new rules, provided all other permits are in order. Vehicles from other countries will not be free to operate anywhere in Finland; all activity will remain carefully planned.