(L-R) Antti Häkkänen, Finland's Minister of Defence; Yuriko Backes, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence;
Credit: MAE
On Thursday 22 May 2025, Luxembourg’s Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, paid a working visit to Finland.
According to Luxembourg’s Directorate of Defence, Minister Backes met with her Finnish counterpart, Antti Häkkänen, in Helsinki, where she received military honours. The two ministers discussed NATO matters, including the importance of its European pillar, the upcoming summit in The Hague (Netherlands) and efforts to reinforce deterrence and defence in response to the worsening security environment and the Russian threat. Minister Backes emphasised that Luxembourg is on track to meet its 2% of gross national income (GNI) defence spending target in 2025.
The Directorate of Defence reported that, concerning the war in Ukraine and ongoing military support, Minister Backes expressed her appreciation to Minister Häkkänen for Finland’s contributions to the IT Coalition, co-led by Estonia and Luxembourg. The two ministers also discussed the potential for closer bilateral cooperation between Luxembourg and Finland in the space sector.
The Directorate of Defence noted that the visit programme also included tours of the Hakaniemi civil defence underground shelter, an icebreaker vessel and Finland’s National Emergency Supply Agency.
