Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at a dinner hosted by President of the Federal Republic of Germany Horst Köhler on 3 May, 2007

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It is a great pleasure for my husband and myself to be able to make a state visit to Germany. The relations between our two countries are good and visits have been exchanged frequently. This reflects a mutual interest and desire to learn to know each other better. You and I, too, Mr. President, have met several times before.

A parliamentary election was held in Finland in mid-March. I am happy to report that 84 of the 200 members of the new Parliament are women. The recently formed Government consists of 20 ministers, 12 of them women. I am convinced that all the members are highly competent and believe that the new members of the Government, too, will be quick to establish good cooperation relations with their German colleagues. During this visit I am already accompanied by our new Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva.

Finland’s educational system and innovation activities have been the object of wide international interest in recent years. Finland has done well in international competitiveness comparisons and in the OECD PISA assessment. We have deliberately made substantial inputs in education, research and development, for we believe that quality and expertise will be the keys to our success in international competition. Expenditure on research and development accounts for some 3.5 per cent of our gross domestic product. This figure is well above the target set by the EU. Several delegations have visited our country from Germany to learn about the ‘Finnish model’, and this is why we are bringing a top-level education and business delegation with us.

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Bilateral relations continue to be an important part of international cooperation and necessary between European Union Member States, too. The EU needs support from all of us, although it is a known fact that Germany’s Presidency is expected to solve many problematic issues. Germany’s Presidency is indeed making good progress and you have also taken into account the views of the smaller Member States. The decisions on energy and climate made at the March European Council and the Berlin Declaration lay a good foundation for the June European Council.

The EU needs a new constitutional treaty. Germany, in its capacity as EU President, has an ambitious plan for achieving a new treaty. Mr. President, I should like to repeat here that Finland is of the same opinion and will support you in your efforts to achieve this.

European cooperation and integration to promote peace, stability and prosperity is a success story. The value heritage of Europeans is based on respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. These common values are underlined by our common European institutions, first by the Council of Europe and subsequently the European Union, too.

The need for cooperation in Europe is just as topical today as it was more than fifty years ago. Although the threat of a conventional war has diminished on our continent – thanks to a great extent to European integration – new challenges with multiple dimensions keep cropping up. Globalisation, sustainable development, climate change and energy security are issues that no country can handle alone. Sustainable solutions must be common: European and global.

EU enlargement to include ten new countries three years ago and a further two this year shows the strength of large-scale integration. But development has taken place in stages, sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly. Tenacity and honesty are important – Europe cannot be built without the contribution and support of its citizens.

The importance of the European Union globally is growing. It has gained much more weight with its 27 members and its strong economic status. I believe, however, that our influence is also based on a hope for a better world – hope for an opportunity for people to influence development. And I believe they want to do that. This is what the miracle of Europe’s development is based on, and the European Union is willing to share this partnership with others, too. It is therefore important that the Union can be trusted – whether in trade or development cooperation, crisis management or environmental protection. The Union and its Member States must stand by their words both in Europe and globally.

Mr. President,

You are a German and a globalist. It is a good thing for Germany and important for all of us. Earlier today, I had an opportunity to speak at length about these issues at your institute of foreign policy, but on this occasion, too, I should like to emphasize how important it is that you and your country participate in international politics.

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There have been contacts between Germany and Finland for centuries. Since the Middle Ages, Finland’s temporal and spiritual leaders have studied at world-famous German universities. The Reformation led by Luther rapidly gained an important foothold in Finland, and the German language and German culture have always been of major significance in our country.

Since the unification of Germany, Berlin has become a cultural metropolis which has attracted numerous artists and musicians from Finland. In the last few years many young people from Finland have discovered that Berlin is a dynamic, modern meeting point. Much of the continually swelling tide of tourists in Berlin comes from Finland. This is not the first time Berlin has been popular, especially amongst our artists: painters and composers were already coming to Berlin in the late nineteenth century to seek learning and inspiration. I feel confident in saying that many of our artists particularly in music have also found their way into the hearts of the German people.

Good airline services to Berlin and other major German cities have increased interaction between people, and good transport connections are also important to representatives of the business world. After all, Germany has long been our number one trading partner. I am delighted that during my visit I shall be able to visit Munich as well as Berlin, since Munich is an important city for German-Finnish cultural and economic cooperation. In Bavaria I shall also have the opportunity to look into the role of the individual German states in EU affairs. And, of course there is an active colony of Finns here in Germany – including many German-Finnish families.

Mr. President,

I should like to propose a toast to you and your wife and to wish every success to relations between our two countries.