Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, the Ambassador of Finland to the United States, will be the featured speaker at the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce[1] annual banquet in October, the chamber announced Wednesday (Sept. 10).
The event is set to begin at 11:30 a.m., Oct. 7, at the Fort Smith Convention Center, and the ambassador’s attendance is “in recognition of the international partnerships created through the FMS project,” the chamber noted.
“Fort Smith is increasingly recognized as the ‘City of Nations,’ and having such distinguished international leaders here reflects the growing global significance of our community,” said Tim Allen, chamber president and CEO. “The partnerships created through the Foreign Military Sales Program not only strengthen our national security but also bring tremendous economic and cultural benefits to Fort Smith. This is an exciting time for our city, and we look forward to celebrating it together.”
Allen credited U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, with helping to arrange the ambassador’s visit.
“I’ve had multiple conversations with Finnish officials – including dinner recently with President (Alexander) Stubb at his residence,” Womack said in a statement to Talk Business & Politics. “It is important for these US allies to feel welcome to visit my district to see firsthand the level of hospitality and quality training their pilots will enjoy. Fort Smith has rolled out the red carpet for these international customers and validating why Ebbing was the air base of choice for the F-35 training mission. It is a source of pride to know that the reputation of Fort Smith and this training mission is becoming well known to our partner nations.”
Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith was selected in March 2023 by the U.S. Air Force to be the long-term pilot training center supporting F-16 and F-35 fighter planes purchased by Singapore, Switzerland, Poland, Germany, Finland, and other countries participating in the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Ebbing is co-located with the Fort Smith Regional Airport.
The estimated total cost to complete the training center is $1.2 billion, and around $600 million has been appropriated since 2021 for the center. Officials have said significant construction could begin in mid-2025 on an estimated four- to five-year building program for the training center.
Military officials are now pursuing plans[2] to expand the operation from supporting 24 F-35 fighters to supporting 36.
Ambassador Mikkola was named ambassador in September 2024, and prior to that she was Ambassador of Finland to the People’s Republic of China from 2021 to 2024, according to Finland Abroad[3], a website managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Finland.
The ambassador joined Finland’s foreign ministry in 1992 and her work has included Middle Eastern and African affairs, and she served as Ambassador to Israel between 2011 and 2016. She also worked at the diplomatic missions in Brussels, Canberra, Athens and Budapest.
Born in 1962, Ambassador Mikkola is from Kaustinen, Finland, and she holds a master’s degree in law from the University of Helsinki.
There are no Finland pilots or planes at Ebbing, but they are expected to arrive later this year. An April 7, 2025 article[4] from the Finnish Defense Forces provides a summary of activities and the process to bring Finland’s F-35 planes and personnel to Ebbing. The article noted that Finnish Major General Timo Herranen said a “reception from the city of Fort Smith and the Chamber of Commerce towards the Air Force was warm and reassuring.”
Link here[5] for tickets and more information about the chamber event.
Related
References
- ^ Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce (www.fortsmithchamber.org)
- ^ now pursuing plans (talkbusiness.net)
- ^ Finland Abroad (finlandabroad.fi)
- ^ An April 7, 2025 article (ilmavoimat.fi)
- ^ Link here (public.fortsmithchamber.com)