Mr. President, (Dear Edgars,)
Honourable Ministers,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen
My history with Latvia began in 1992 when I first visited Riga for a study trip. At the time, I could sense the changes in the air and the hope in people’s hearts. Now I see a new Riga and a new Latvia, one that has claimed its place in the world.
Before this trip, I checked my ancestry for any connections to Latvia. It turns out there have been, shall I say interesting, relatives of mine in Latvia. For example, Henrik Horn, who lived in the 16th century, is my direct ancestor. He was appointed commander-in-chief of the Swedish army in Estonia and basically ordered to burn Livonia. This was because it was under Polish rule. What happened next was that I stopped reading about my Latvian ancestry.
As an avid sports fan, I remember growing up following great Latvian athletes. Both in winter and summer sports, Latvia seems to thrive. From Janis Lusis in the Helsinki European Championships in 1971 all the way to Kristaps Porzingis in the NBA.
The Latvian team in ice hockey has always been formidable. Sandis Ozolinsh, Karlis Skrastins and the rest. Who could forget 2023 when Latvia won bronze medal in the World Championships in Tampere. A first in Latvian history but certainly not the last. Finland needs to watch out. We were able to achieve something similar last week in the basketball European Championships. Finland in basketball is a bit like Latvia in ice hockey. Much like Latvia was able to say in 2023, we can say now: we have arrived.
In my years in politics, I have built personal relationships with Latvian colleagues, who I have come to respect for their openness, authenticity and analytical prowess. With President Rinkēvičs, we served as foreign ministers at the same time and struck a close working relationship and a personal friendship. With Valdis Dombrovskis, we were prime ministers at the same time and jointly tackled the difficult issues of those days.
Distinguished guests, dear friends,
The Finnish and Latvian languages are not closely related to each other, but several similar words testify of centuries of close interaction, trade and friendship. For example, “kirves” is “cirvis” in Latvian, “sieni” is “sēne”, “poika” is “puika” and “naula” is “nagla”. The saying “Firma maksaa” is the same in Finnish and in Latvian. The Finnish saying: “Ei ole latin latia”, meaning “I don’t have any money”, has its origins in the former currency of Latvia.
Let me add one more, really important word: Latvian word for boat, “laiva”, has almost exactly the same meaning in Finnish. It tells about the connections between our countries, connected mostly through waterways.
The Baltic Sea has brought us together since the Viking age but the interaction wasn’t limited to the sea only. The river Daugava that runs through this city actually has a Finnish name: Väinäjoki. Finns used to sail the river deep into the inland to trade. Väinäjoki is not just a geographical name but it connects with Finnish history, culture and mythology.
The same could be said about the Livonians and their language. Today small in numbers but their history lives on.
Thinking of our common history, I’m also reminded of Finland and Latvia’s time together under Swedish rule for about hundred years. What most people do not recall is that the biggest city in that realm was not Stockholm but Riga.
Our common history is also one of cooperation on security. A great example is Jääkäriliike, the Jäger movement. Tomorrow we will be in Liepaja, which holds a special place in the history of Finland. In February 1918, it was in the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Liepaja that the Finnish jägers pledged their allegiance to the government of Finland. After a period of training in Liepaja, the main element of the Jäger battalion took off to Vaasa in Finland, helping to secure the very fresh and fragile independence of Finland.
The period after the Second World War, the period of the Soviet occupation of Latvia, will go to the annals of history as an exception. It is but an aberration in our common journey and our cooperation through the centuries.
Mr. President, dear guests,
We share a common security environment. What is more, we share the analysis of it. We never lowered our guard. We keep investing in our security and defence. At the same time, we recognize that security is built together.
Wars are fought on battlefields but they are won on the home front. Comprehensive security is the key. Educated, motivated and innovative people to build and defend the society. Hardened supply chains and critical infrastructure. International cooperation. These are the tenets we live by.
Today, wars are constantly waged in the information domain, in the minds of people. Latvia understood this early on. The NATO Strategic Communication Centre of Excellence here in Riga is a testament to that. It also served as a model for the Centre in Helsinki focusing on hybrid threats.
Dear friends,
Beyond security, our close contacts extend also to the education sector. With more than 500 Finnish students, the medical schools in Latvia have one the biggest concentrations of Finnish medical students anywhere, inside or outside of Finland. I met some of them today.
Last but not least, the bilateral business ties are perhaps stronger than ever. The largest brewery in Latvia, Cēsu Alus, is owned by the Finnish company Olvi. Hesburger is the biggest fast food franchise. Neste has been in Latvia for 35 years. Patria has a strong standing in the defence industry. Their production in Valmiera is important for the whole value chain.
Mr. President, dear friends,
Let me on my own and Suzanne’s behalf extend a huge thank you to our hosts for the warm welcome we have received.
Diplomacy is an art of words, among other things. Here tonight, I can use big words like unity and friendship, knowing that they actually mean something. For we are joined at the hip. We see the same. We are the same.
