Check against delivery
Esteemed speakers, honoured ministers, members of the Nordic Council, ladies and gentlemen, dear Nordic friends,
You will have seen the news that this morning, together with Prime Minister Støre, we held a phone call with the Russian President. It was a follow-up to our meeting in Oslo last week, and done in consultation with Ukraine.
There were no surprises in the positions that Putin put forward. That was to be expected. Our main goal was to convey our messages as Ukraine’s strong supporters and neighbors of Russia. We urged Putin to come to the negotiating table in earnest. Because there is no military solution to this war. And continuing it harms everybody. Our message was that Russia will not wear us out: Ukraine will prevail and our support will prevail.
But I came here today to talk about Nordic cooperation. So, let’s get on with that.
***
It is a pleasure and an honour to speak at this Nordic Council Session. From my years in Parliament, I remember the Nordic Council as a forum that brings friends together. A place where we have always found common ground through dialogue, even when times have been tough.
And times are tough now, too. Tougher than before. Still, the Nordic countries have plenty of reason to face the future with confidence. I will highlight three of those reasons.
First, our sense of Nordic unity is stronger than ever. Second, a changing world makes our cooperation all the more important. It is in our shared interest.
And third, we already have something that many other regions are still trying to build: mutual trust, shared values and a long tradition of working together to find solutions.
It is not a question of whether we need more Nordic cooperation. It is a question of how we can make it more effective.
***
The Nordic people have already made their views clear.
A study published by the Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA in April 2026 shows that 67 per cent of Finns want Nordic cooperation to play a greater role in Finland’s foreign policy.
In a study published in 2026 and supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers, between 79 and 85 per cent of respondents in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark found that Nordic cooperation strengthens their trust in the future.
When asked where we should look in an uncertain world, people are increasingly likely to say: towards our Nordic partners, our shared values and closely connected societies.
These are not weak signals. These are clear messages. Nordic cooperation enjoys strong support and a high level of trust among our citizens.
This trust is precious. But trust alone is not the goal. It is capital that we must use wisely.
People expect us to deliver tangible results.
***
The world around us makes cooperation necessary.
The Nordic countries have every reason to act together. Our security environment has changed. Our Eastern neighbour is waging an illegal war. Together and separately, we are among Ukraine’s strongest supporters, both economically and politically.
Our political environment has changed. In this context, I would like to congratulate the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland, Prime Minister Frederiksen and Prime Minister Nielsen, on the agreement you have reached with the United States. You still have our full support.
The competition between major powers is intensifying. Financial dependencies are used as an instrument of coercion.
At the same time, the technological transformation, climate change and energy security require investments, expertise and solutions that we can best find together.
This is not the time for us in the Nordic countries to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world in our own little bubble.
Instead, we can join forces.
We can coordinate our preparedness efforts, strengthen our collective defence, build more resilient supply chains, and bring together research, technology, and capital.
Together, our influence in Europe and internationally is greater than if we all act individually.
Global uncertainty is a compelling reason for us to strengthen our collective capacity to act in the Nordic countries.
***
We already have what matters most for cooperation: trust and shared values.
The Nordic Council was established in 1952, when Europe was still recovering from the Second World War. Finland joined the organisation in 1955.
The Nordic countries chose cooperation over isolation. We did not abandon our national identities, but built a shared political space alongside them.
We are united by democracy, the rule of law, equality, freedom, education and strong institutions. We have long experience in how different countries can cooperate without losing their own identities or decision-making power.
This is a major advantage in a world where trust cannot be taken for granted.
***
So, we have the support of the Nordic people, a strong need for cooperation and deep-rooted sense of mutual trust.
We have achieved a lot. However, we have not yet met all expectations.
If we want to keep meeting our citizens’ expectations and make the most of the strengths of the Nordic countries, we must focus on concrete action.
I would like to highlight two issues.
First, we must build a more secure and crisis-resilient Nordic region.
And second, we must strengthen the economic, technological and political influence of the Nordic countries around the globe.
***
First, security.
The security of the Nordic countries is a shared concern. We share the same security environment. We need more than national solutions to prevent threats.
We are strengthening our security together in NORDEFCO and as NATO and JEF members. At the same time, we have further intensified the bilateral defence cooperation between our countries.
Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO memberships have strengthened our opportunities to act together as part of the transatlantic security community. The alliance see us as model allies. That gives us a seat at the table.
We have already accomplished a lot in our defence cooperation. In fact, in this respect, we must be one of the most integrated regions in the world. But we can take things even further.
When it comes to comprehensive security, we must enhance our preparedness and strengthen our ability to protect our critical infrastructure. We need close cooperation in cybersecurity, security of supply, energy and supply chains.
We must examine the security of the Baltic Sea region as a whole. This makes NB8, the cooperation with the Baltic countries, especially important and valuable.
In a world where anything can be weaponised, we must identify our critical dependencies.
Are we overly dependent on individual suppliers for raw materials, pharmaceutical technology or telecommunications? What will happen if a key supply chain is disrupted? Do we have options, adequate stocks and shared practices?
The Nordic countries can complement each other. The strength of one country can help to compensate for the vulnerability of another.
But we must also bear in mind the other side of dependencies. We must also ask in what areas others depend on us.
Finland and Sweden have significant expertise in network technology. Denmark is a global leader in the maritime and pharmaceutical industries. Iceland’s strategic location makes it an indispensable partner for many. Norway has strengths in finance, energy and technology, among other sectors. Some of us produce critical deep tech, others, world-class applications.
Can we strengthen our strategic position together? Can we combine research, investments and expertise so that the Nordic countries will emerge as an even stronger player in network technologies, quantum computing, space technology and digital infrastructure?
This also applies to the defence industry, energy and other strategically important sectors.
We must move from focusing on risk management to building our own strengths.
Second, impact.
As small countries, we have limited raw power. But we can have significant influence.
Our job is to strengthen the economic, technological and political weight of the Nordic countries.
Together, we are more. We must identify areas where, through our cooperation, we can achieve something that none of us could achieve alone.
Europe needs investments, new technologies and stronger own production capacity. The Nordic countries can be part of the solution.
In this context, I would like to highlight the Nordic business community’s Nordic Compass initiative, whose work emphasises competitiveness, investments and technological competence. It serves as an important platform for combining our resources.
At the same time, we must strengthen the Nordic countries’ collective voice in international politics.
The European Union, NATO and the UN are our most important political frameworks. Nordic cooperation is not meant to compete with these structures, but to reinforce them. In each of these forums, together we constitute a major player: a group that carries weight and a voice commands attention.
The impact of the Nordic countries does not stem from agreement on every issue. It stems from our ability to identify our shared interests and act on them.
***
Dear friends,
As I have noted, we have three reasons to face the future with confidence.
Our citizens support our cooperation. The global situation makes it all the more important. And we have a strong foundation: shared values, trust and a long tradition of working together.
But our success will depend on what we do with these strengths.
That is why I would like to conclude by asking:
Have we lived up to the expectations of the people of the Nordic countries?
Have we made the Nordic region more secure?
Have we strengthened our collective influence?
The answer to these questions must be yes.
So let us build a Nordic region that not only defends its past achievements but goes far beyond this.
A Nordic region that translates its shared values into action.
A Nordic region that provides the world with trustworthy solutions and creates a better future for its citizens.
I don’t know about you, but I have never felt more Nordic than I do today. Long live the Nordics and Nordic cooperation!
Thank you.
