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Finland to provide soldiers to guard WFP shipments

Finland is to provide a detachment of around 25 soldiers to help protect World Food Programme shipments in sea areas off the coast of Somalia.

Naissotilas vartioi miinalaiva Pohjanmaan kannella.
Naissotilas vartioi miinalaiva Pohjanmaan kannella. Image: YLE

The detachment will see service in the EU's Operation Atalanta, which protects international shipping from Somali pirates. President Sauli Niinistö and the cabinet's Ministerial Foreign and Security Policy Committee approved participation on Friday.

Finland is also preparing to continue taking part in the European Training Mission Somalia EUTM.

Finland is to maintain its role in the NATO-led ISAF operation in Afghanistan. Once the operation ends in 2014, NATO plans to continue in the country with a training mission in that country. A decision on Finland's contribution to the training mission is to be decided at a later date.