Speaking on an interview programme on YLE Radio 1 Tuesday morning, Korkeaoja expressed the view that the situation in Afghanistan had deteriorated since 2002, when Finland decided to join the peacekeeping operation in the north of the country.

Korkeaoja says that the results in the operation have not corresponded to the goals that have been set. He pointed out that the goals of the operation were changed a year ago so that they might be more easily achieved.

“Whether or not this has been successful is not yet clear. Positive development has taken place, but at the same time, the war has intensified, and the number of both military and civilian casualties has increased,” Korkeaoja said.

Korkeaoja also discussed his views on Afghanistan in Tuesday morning’s edition of the Centre Party newspaper Suomenmaa.

Finland has about 145 soldiers in Afghanistan on crisis management duty. The number is to be temporarily raised to 195. When it made the decision to increase the number, Parliament said that the goals of the operation need to be evaluated at regular intervals.

“Logically this means that if positive results do not occur, we need to draw the necessary conclusions,” Korkeaoja explained to Suomenmaa.