Finland's message following damaged optical cable is clear: we are stronger together - Finnish foreign minister

  • 2025-01-28
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - Finland's message regarding the damaged submarine fiber-optic cable linking Latvia and Sweden is clear - together we are stronger, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told reporters in Riga on Tuesday.

Damage to the cable is an unfortunate and deplorable incident in the Baltic Sea, but the countries around the Baltic Sea are stronger together, said Valtonen. The countries have strengthened their cooperation and improved their capacity to protect critical infrastructure, she said.

Finland has been a NATO member for only two years, yet the country has been able to significantly strengthen its defense capabilities, while progress has been even more rapid in the past six to twelve months, said Valtonen.

"Unfortunately, these incidents have happened, but we are constantly learning and becoming much stronger in NATO and the European Union, as well as in bilateral cooperation. No country in the region is left alone in such situations", Valtonen emphasized.

"Our partners and allies also face such problems and we work together to solve them", said the Finnish minister.

As reported, Valtonen is on a working visit to Latvia today to discuss with her Latvian counterpart current regional security issues, further support to Ukraine, the implementation of an effective sanctions policy against Russia, and the future of transatlantic relations.