Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at a banquet during a state visit by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden at the Presidential Palace on 26 August 2003

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish you a hearty welcome on your fourth state visit to Finland. The beautiful summer now drawing to a close could hardly have had a more splendid crowning moment than Your Majesties’ visit.

Many factors unite Finland and Sweden today in our globalising environment. Both countries have always depended on foreign trade, but now the challenges we face are worldwide ones. The EU is our economic home base, the creation of which has eliminated obstacles to our economic sectors integrating with each other. In world markets we have traditionally encountered each other as competitors, but increasingly often nowadays we are joining forces in response to European and global challenges.

It has also happened on numerous occasions that Finland and Sweden have cooperated bilaterally to clear the way for pan-Nordic or Nordic-Baltic cooperation. I have openly informed the media of my own view that cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region would be made considerably easier if all of the EU countries in the region had a common currency. Naturally, we are following, with great interest and respect for the Swedes’ independent power of decision, your ongoing referendum.

Our immediate region is in transition in other ways as well. The geopolitical map of the Baltic was redrawn just over a decade ago and a new transformation is in prospect when the three Baltic States and Poland hopefully become members of the European Union next spring. The ending of the Cold War and a major social transformation in Russia made that country an important cooperation partner of the EU, and this has opened up completely new opportunities also for Finland and Sweden. Our goal is an extensive sphere of prosperity, which would include also the neighbouring regions to the east of the EU.

Integration of the Finnish and Swedish economic sectors has highlighted in a new way the importance of the Swedish language in Finland. Our aim with new language legislation is to ensure the continuing vitality of Swedish in new circumstances. Correspondingly, the culture of the Finnish minority in Sweden and Finnish as a domestic language there are acquiring quite a new practical value in addition to the value that cultural diversity always has in its own right. Their status as a national minority has boosted the self-confidence of Finns living in Sweden and, as education and culture policies become more effective, may eventually also help ensure that the Finnish and Finland-Swedish cultures are preserved for future generations. In a globalising world, the importance of one’s own cultural identity comes sharply into focus. Within the European Union, both Finnish and Swedish are minor languages, but globally they are still big as members of the world family of over 6,800 languages. However, we need both our own and the EU’s combined strengths to preserve this cultural wealth.

Collective efforts are also needed to protect our environment. I had the pleasure to participate, along with Your Majesty and Crown Princess Victoria, in the WWF Baltic Seminar in Stockholm last week. Our beautiful summer has reminded us of global climate change, and of its serious consequences in various parts of Europe and also here in the Baltic Sea. Climate policy is of constantly growing importance for international cooperation, which would be made easier by the speedy entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. At the same time as we here in the North are continuing our efforts to save the Baltic Sea, we must act resolutely to make global climate policy more effective.

Your Majesties, Crown Princess Victoria,

Our countries have a long shared history, which certainly reminds us of itself in the form of numerous friendly invitations. This year the city of Hamina celebrates its 350th anniversary. In addition to this, the geographical position and historical significance of Hamina reminds us of our shared interest in maintaining good neighbourly relations with Russia, whose old capital St. Petersburg celebrated its 300th birthday this spring. With the aid of the EU’s Northern Dimension policy, there is now the opportunity for closer and more fruitful regional cooperation with Russia.

Countless generations have over the course of the centuries built our peoples’ shared history. The past brought suffering, losses and sacrifices, but even more happiness and success. In the new Europe and a globalising world we need each other at least as much as we did in past centuries. Our peoples await coming changes with feelings of both unease and hope. It is together that we can best work to ensure that our peoples will continue to be able to live in security and prosperity.

Allow me to propose a toast to the excellent relations and close cooperation between our peoples as well as to Your Majesties’ personal good fortune and success.