The United States and Finland signed a defense cooperation agreement on Monday, enhancing military collaboration between the two countries by obligating Helsinki to open its military bases to U.S. forces and allowing the two militaries to conduct joint training, among other measures.

During a signing ceremony at the U.S. State Department, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the agreement, when becoming effective, will enable U.S. and Finnish militaries to collaborate more efficiently and effectively, provide the troops with more opportunities to train together, and bolster NATO's interoperability.

Also attending the signing ceremony, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the signing of the agreement marked "a great milestone" in bilateral relations between the two countries, and "strengthens the security of Nordic and Baltic regions."