Kauppi also pointed out that the EU "at its core" is a bloc that emphasizes economic integration. As such, Finland, she said, will use its presidency to focus on economic growth and competitiveness, on "making the single market function better," as it looks at trade with other entities.
Finland and the EU are also concerned with "security in the broad sense," Kauppi said, explaining that "security" is not limited to the military domain, but also "how people live, whether they're safe in their own environment.
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As far as military security is concerned, Kauppi said, Finland and the EU are focused on addressing "so-called hybrid threats" and on improving defense cooperation within the EU.
The EU defines hybrid threats as those that combine conventional and unconventional, military and non-military activities that can be used in a coordinated manner by state or non-state actors and are "designed to be difficult to detect or attribute." These include cyberattacks on critical information systems, attempts to undermine public trust in government institutions and efforts to deepen social divisions. (VOA)