On April 5, 2022, the United States and Finland signed a Joint Statement on Cooperation in Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST). The statement was signed in Washington by Monica P. Medina, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and Ilona Lundström, Director General of the Innovations and Enterprise Financing Department at the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
According to the National Quantum Coordination Office announcement, the statement built on more than two decades of bilateral ties, including a Science and Technology Agreement in place since 1995. Charles Tahan, Director of the National Quantum Coordination Office, said the signing was “a major step forward toward creating a trusted network of ideas, people, commerce, and values for this critical emerging technology.” Finland’s Ambassador to the United States, Mikko Hautala, noted that quantum technology has the potential to shape both the global economy and global politics.