Finland and the United States on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on icebreaker cooperation, said an official press release.
President Alexander Stubb and his US counterpart Donald Trump signed the MoU at a meeting in White House where Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was also present.
The MoU laid the foundation for commercial agreements between the United States Coast Guard and Finnish companies.
The United States is procuring 11 new icebreakers for its Coast Guard, four of which are planned to be constructed in Finland.
This is the culmination of long-term efforts, and the first time the United States is building icebreakers in another country.
This deeper partnership in icebreakers also includes the development of competence and joint research.
This cooperation is also in line with the trilateral Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) between Finland, the United States, and Canada.
Earlier on the day, Stubb in a post on his social media platform X wrote that the US administration has negotiated directly with companies.
“I’m proud that Finnish arctic expertise is appreciated and trusted. The cooperation benefits both countries, Finland and the United States,” the President added.
Earlier in January 2025, United States President Donald Trump announced to order 40 icebreakers for his country focusing on building a big, new American icebreaker fleet.
In November 2024, officials representing the governments of Finland, Canada and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop world-class Arctic and polar icebreakers.
The MoU was signed following the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE) Pact signed by President Alexander Stubb, his US counterpart Joe Biden and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau in Washington in July, 2024.
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Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
