The heightened security situation highlights the need for preparedness in both the Baltic Sea and Euro-Arctic regions. This was the key message from the international Rescue Borealis 2025 field exercise held in Oulu this week.
EU Commissioner responsible for preparedness, Hadja Lahbib, personally observed the exercise in Oulu and praised both the seamless cooperation among participants and the interoperability of the EU’s rescEU reserves. ”It is crystal clear that Europe must urgently strengthen both civilian and military readiness – and this is exactly what we are doing right now”, the Commissioner Lahbib stated.
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Source: Mun Oulu News
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