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Madam President,
Mr Skúlason,
Mr Speaker,
Prime Minister,
Ministers,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen!
Suzanne and I would like to warmly welcome you, Madam President and Mr Skúlason, to Finland. Visits in both directions between our countries have been frequent, as they ought to be. We are both Nordic countries and very similar in terms of national character.
Personally, Iceland holds many fond memories to me. In the 1980s, I participated in the Nordic golf championships in Keflavik. After the first day, everything was fine, but on the second day, the local weather got the upper hand. In 2016, my family and I spent several days in Iceland on a stopover during our Atlantic crossing. A great example of how the frequent air connections are helping to bring our countries closer together.
Iceland is a successful country in every respect, but due to its small size, it inspires sympathy as the underdog, especially in sports. Iceland’s football miracle in the 2010s is particularly memorable. The men’s national team, Strákarnir okkar (Our Boys), excelled in the 2016 European Championships. At the 2018 World Cup, Iceland became the smallest country ever to qualify. The Icelandic women’s national football team is a regular at major tournaments. For a nation of a few hundred thousand people, this is nothing short of remarkable.
Iceland has also had a major impact in the world of music, considering the size of the country. What I find especially admirable is that the music tends to be creative and very much non-generic. One of my favourite artists is Björk.
Dear Friends,
Our peoples are united by a shared desire to escape the cold and dark and to relax in the heat. We have our saunas and you have your hot pools. Icelanders have many sayings about the weather, such as “if you don’t like the weather, wait 5 minutes”. This also illustrates a flexible attitude. In Finland, we have our own relationship with the sometimes unpredictable weather. We fondly remember last summer, which, if I recall correctly, was on a Tuesday this year.
We also share a strong relationship with nature. Of course, the power of nature is evident in Iceland in a different way to how it is here, given all the volcanic activity. That is why I’m impressed by Iceland’s approach to dealing with the forces of nature.
Our languages are not closely related, but I would like to highlight two key words that are almost identical in Finnish and Icelandic: suklaarusina – súkkulaðirúsína (chocolate raisin) and muurarimestari – múrarameistari (master mason).
Madam President, dear friends,
In recent years, Nordic cooperation has taken on a whole new significance. As northern neighbours, Iceland and Finland are actively involved in cooperation within the framework of the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers, as well as in NORDEFCO defence cooperation. Relations between Finland and Iceland have become even closer with Finland’s membership of NATO.
The memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation signed today between our two countries reflects the potential for closer relations. By working together, we can strengthen the defence of both our countries, as well as regional security, and NATO’s deterrence and defence. A great example of practical cooperation is our participation in Iceland’s air policing with our fighters earlier this year.
When speaking about cooperation, the Arctic region is key. The security of the Arctic is closely linked to the security situation in the Baltic Sea region and the rest of Europe. The accelerated pace of climate change will affect the growing strategic importance of the Arctic region. On these issues, we must stay alert but also actively influence the developments.
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Our interests are aligned, and so are our values. This is a rare situation in international politics, one that we should underline and appreciate. In international cooperation, both Iceland and Finland focus on gender equality, combating climate change, peaceful conflict resolution, and sustainable development.
Iceland ranks first in the Global Gender Gap Index, which measures gender differences based on economic, political, educational and health-based criteria. You have, in fact, been at the top of the list for over 10 years. Finland comes in a close second.
Finland and Iceland are among the most active member states of the United Nations and its member organisations. We have a strong reputation as defenders of human rights and the rule of law, as well as of a rules-based multilateral world order and international law. We will continue to cherish this reputation.
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Let me conclude by highlighting the significant potential for development in trade between Finland and Iceland. Trade in goods has been modest so far, but the trend is positive. The business delegation participating in this state visit offers an excellent opportunity to develop our mutual trade relations. Let us make the most of it.
Dear friends,
Although our climate is cold and harsh, the bond and friendship between our nations are all the warmer. Madam President, I would therefore like to propose a toast in your honour and to the friendship between our countries and our peoples.
