The United States and Finland have signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement, according to a live broadcast on the US Department of State’s website, Paralel.Az reports citing TASS.

The agreement will provide the US with access to 15 military bases in Finland.

The signing ceremony involved US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen and the Nordic country’s top diplomat Elina Valtonen.

"Today, we will further strengthen our security bonds by signing a defense cooperation agreement," Blinken stated. "When it goes into effect, our militaries will be able to collaborate more efficiently and more effectively. Our troops will have more opportunities to train together and will bolster NATO’s interoperability," he added.

Valtonen, in turn, stressed that Helsinki saw Washington as its key strategic partner and ally, as well as the largest trade partner. According to her, the agreement will take Finland’s cooperation with NATO to another level and will also strengthen cooperation in the field of technology.