The FIIA Report examines Finland’s participation in the international intervention in Afghanistan during the years of 2001–2021. The report is an independent study, based on an analysis of broad range of interviews, commissioned by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Finnish Parliament (UaVP 61/2021). The research was led by FIIA’s Leading Researcher Katariina Mustasilta.
Finland participated in the international stabilization and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan for nearly two decades, contributing around 2,500 soldiers and 140 civilian crisis management experts. During this period, Finland’s development cooperation funds and humanitarian assistance allocated to Afghanistan amounted to around EUR 398 million. Finland’s activities in Afghanistan were guided primarily by the desire to maintain and deepen its international foreign and security policy partnerships, for example, with the United States and NATO. The aims related to stabilizing Afghanistan and the strategic monitoring of their attainment remained secondary concerns.
Executive summary of report is available in English.
Read more here.
