Speech by the President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at the Government luncheon hosted by H.E. Mr Bertie Ahern, the Prime Minister of Ireland, 12 November 2007

(check against delivery)

It is a great pleasure to visit Ireland. On my own behalf, and on behalf of our entire delegation, I would like to thank you, Prime Minister Ahern, for this lunch and the occasion to exchange views with you. Our discussions today have been open and uncomplicated. Relations between our countries are excellent, and we share many goals and interests.

Today, both our countries are prosperous by international comparison, but this was not always the case. Our societies are built on democracy, good governance, the wellbeing of our citizens and education. This foundation has also helped us to reach the top of the global league in competitiveness. We are among those who have clearly benefited from globalization, although not without difficulty.

Ireland’s economic boom has received wide admiration abroad. You have managed to attract much foreign investment, and you have considered it important to invest in human capital and knowledge. In recent years, considerable international interest has also been shown in the Finnish innovation and education system, the so-called Finnish model. One of the crucial factors behind our "success story" is that education, science and research have traditionally been widely appreciated in our society. Therefore they have become political priorities. There are still a lot of challenges ahead for both countries. (In a globalizing world nothing can be lost quicker than a good success.)

Ireland and Finland also have much in common regarding the involvement of the social partners and civil society in drawing up national policies.

I believe that all this provides us with a good basis for intensifying cooperation between our two countries on a wide range of issues and that we can also learn from each other’s experiences.

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Membership of the European Union has had a positive impact on the development of both countries. As open and export-dependent economies, we benefit from the internal market, or the extended home market, as we might say. Ireland is an active Member State and has made an extensive and positive contribution to the development of the Union – and I dare say that in this your significance exceeds your relative size. The Irish EU Presidencies have been highly successful, and you yourself, Prime Minister, played an important role in the achievements of Ireland’s most recent Presidency.

Cooperation within the EU is important for both of us. With the Reform Treaty agreed, the Union can pay less attention to the institutional debate. We Finns hope, of course, that the ratification procedure will proceed smoothly in all Member States. The Union should now move forward and focus on policy delivery on concrete issues.

The exchange of visits between our two countries has been very active. During Ireland’s recent EU Presidency, there were no fewer than 14 Finnish Ministerial visits to Ireland. Similarly, during Finland’s EU Presidency, many Irish Government Ministers visited Finland, including you yourself, Prime Minister. We are thus well placed for strengthening our political dialogue.

Prime Minister, I would like to thank you for your hospitality today and for the good cooperation. I would like to propose a toast to your very good health and to continuing good relations between Ireland and Finland.

Go raibh maith agaibh agus sláinte! (=Thank you and cheers.)