Minister of Defence Häkkänen to visit New Zealand, Australia and Japan

Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen will visit New Zealand, Australia and Japan from 19 to 28 October 2026.

In New Zealand, Minister of Defence Häkkänen will meet leaders of the country’s administration and Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies. Topics on the agenda include comprehensive security and resilience.

In Australia, Minister Häkkänen will meet Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Chief of the Defence Force Admiral Mark Hammond. The meetings will focus on bilateral defence cooperation, defence materiel cooperation, comprehensive security and hybrid threats.

In Japan, Minister Häkkänen will meet Minister of Defense Shinjirō Koizumi and Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi. They will discuss defence cooperation development, materiel cooperation and the current security situation.

The objective of Minister Häkkänen’s working visits is to strengthen bilateral relations and boost defence and technology cooperation.

“We are reinforcing our relations with partners in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition, we see plenty of opportunities to deepen defence materiel cooperation,” Minister of Defence Häkkänen says.

“We see the security environment in the Indo-Pacific and Europe the same way. This is a good foundation for deeper cooperation,” says Häkkänen.