Kultaranta talks to be held again in summer 2014

Office of the President of the Republic
Press Release 17/2014
16 April 2014

The Kultaranta talks, a foreign policy discussion event, will be held again this year. Around one hundred foreign policy experts and debaters will convene at the President of the Republic’s summer residence at Kultaranta in Naantali on 8-9 June 2014. Developments in Russia will be one of the overarching themes of the talks.

President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö convened the first of these events in June 2013. The President had proposed the idea – of holding recurring foreign policy discussion events – upon opening the year’s Parliamentary session in February 2013. In his speech, he pointed out that in view of the relentless pace of change in the world there is a pressing need for a continuing discussion of foreign policy between foreign policy reports. Events since the beginning of this year only serve to underline the President’s comments on the pace of change.

The Kultaranta talks are aimed at creating a new kind of national debating event based on open and critical consideration of Finnish foreign and security policy. In particular, the President of the Republic would like to provide an opportunity for dialogue. Upon opening the Kultaranta talks last June, President Niinistö stated that whereas in Finland people tend to talk around issues, now is the time to move things forward.

More detailed information on the programme for the Kultaranta talks will be provided later.