Speech by President Martti Ahtisaari at Finlandahuset, April 14, 1994, 15.00

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to begin by congratulating Sweden's oldest Finnish society, that of Stockholm, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.

The respectable age attained by your society shows that 'Finnishness' has a venerable tradition in Sweden. Historically, Finnish culture has always had close ties with Sweden, and Finnish is an old national language in Sweden. For more than five hundred years Finland and Sweden lived under a single flag. Finland, the eastern part of the realm, and its inhabitants, the Finns, also left their mark on the life and culture of the western part.

Today, Finland and Sweden are as close to one another as two independent, sovereign states could ever be; there are only advantages to be gained from this relationship. The present richness and strength of both countries are enhanced by national minorities, which make a valuable contribution to Nordic ties. Today Finns in Sweden represent the largest national minority, and Finnishness has a long tradition in Sweden. As we know, the Finnish language also has a long history west of the River Torne and the Gulf of Bothnia, just as Swedish has also been spoken east of the border, in Finland.

Most of you or your fathers and mothers moved to Sweden after the war; many in the 1960s and 1970s. At that time there was a great migration to Sweden from the Finnish coasts, and from far inland, too, from the east and north of the country. Many crossed the Gulf of Bothnia in search of a higher standard of living.

Some of you, or your parents, may also have been evacuated to Sweden during the war as children. Sweden, which succeeded in remaining outside the Second World War, offered a haven from the turmoil of war to tens of thousands of Finnish children. Some of you may have origins in the Torne Valley or elsewhere in northern Sweden, a region where Finnish has always been spoken.

I would also like to address those of you whose mother tongue is Swedish, who have grown up speaking Swedish here in Sweden or who have a Finnish-Swedish background. Regardless of language or origins, we all have something in common, our Finnish roots. In Finland we hold your contribution as bridge-builders between our countries in all areas of society in high regard.

Regardless of where you are from, you are all united by Finnishness, by an appreciation of your own roots and culture. National cultures will not disappear as Europeintegrates; on the contrary, their status and significance will become more pronounced. The efforts of Finns in Sweden to develop and strengthen their own culture and language are of great value.

Finland also considers it important to promote the goals espoused by Finns in Sweden within the framework of governmental, political and cultural co-operation between our countries. I am convinced that the Government and officials of Sweden recognize the importance of guaranteeing the conditions necessary to secure the position of the Finnish language and Finnish culture. The Finnish language has a long tradition in Sweden, and so it is only natural that Finns in Sweden should wish to achieve special status for their language. Finnish has always been spoken in Sweden, and it cannot be compared with immigrant languages. We of course welcome with satisfaction the strengthening of Finnish in the Swedish school system and mass media.

It is gratifying to note that many successful Finnish schools of a high standard have been founded in Sweden in a short time, and that more are to be established. Creating opportunities for mass media in Finnish, especially radio and television, is one of the priorities of cultural policy. Unexploited potential in this respect remains available to our Governments.

Our ties with Sweden through the Swedish language are also close. Swedish, which is the mother tongue of approximately six per cent of the population of Finland, is a national language in our country. We will never relinquish the richness that bilingualism offers our country.

In Finland the position of the Swedish language is guaranteed by the constitution, and it therefore enjoys equality with Finnish. This is a richness that we Finns cherish, not only because it enriches our own culture, but also because it promotes our contacts with Sweden. Finns in Sweden who seek to improve the position of Finnish in Sweden also have the full support of Swedish-speaking Finns, for whom the problems of linguistic minorities are familiar.

Swedish-speaking Finns have served as an important bridge between Finland and Sweden; this role will be even more important in the future. You are the link, the promoters of culture and the builders of the economy. The significance of national minorities in the new Europe will be more pronounced. The Nordic countries demonstrate that pluralism offers strength and potential. We are progressing from a single culture into cultural pluralism.

This building has always meant a great deal to Finns in Sweden. I am of the opinion that the plans being made to develop Finlandshuset into a Finnish cultural institute in Stockholm are a step in the right direction. The government of Sweden has demonstrated its support for securing the future of this building. The same sympathy will also be found in Finland. Finnish culture needs an institute of this kind, and the Finnish government is also prepared to do everything in its power to ensure the success of this institute.