Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at the state banquet for State Visit of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, 10 September 2007

(check against delivery)

I take great pleasure in welcoming you, Mr President and Mrs Lula da Silva, to Finland. This is a historic occasion, as this is the first state visit ever made to Finland by the President of Brazil. Also, on this occasion my husband and I are delighted to be able to return the warm hospitality which we enjoyed on our visit to Brazil in 2003. Of course, since then we have also met at various meetings in Brazil and in Vienna.

I am afraid, Mr President, that the weather here in Helsinki in September is not as warm as in Brazil, but on the other hand our discussions today have been as warm, as open and as straightforward as ever.

Brazil and Europe have always enjoyed a close relationship. In recent years, this relationship has, if anything, grown even closer, particularly regarding relations between your country and the EU. During the recently concluded Finnish Presidency of the EU, political dialogue was initiated, and during the current Portuguese Presidency, Brazil and the EU have signed a strategic partnership treaty.

The World Trade Organization’s Doha round of talks are an important process both for the European Union and for Brazil. You, Mr President, have a rather significant role in these negotiations. I hope and trust that we will achieve a satisfactory conclusion, because that would facilitate trade, create wealth and offer developing countries better opportunities to benefit from global economic growth. Despite recent difficulties encountered in the Doha round of talks, I am confident that the negotiations will progress and that a solution acceptable to all parties will be achieved. I also expect the negotiations on the EU Mercosur Regional Association Agreement, which is important for us both, to pick up new speed.


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Bilateral relations between our countries are sound and stable. Economic cooperation has progressed favourably, and the volume of trade between Finland and Brazil has increased significantly, extending recently to new products such as the newly acquired Brazilian passenger jets.

The extensive and distinguished business delegation accompanying you has been meeting representatives of Finnish companies and research institutions today. Brazil is an increasingly interesting target for Finnish investments, and I would like to think that the interest could be mutual.

Interaction between private citizens has also increased. The number of Finnish tourists visiting Brazil has rapidly risen to 15,000, which is hardly surprising given the popularity of the samba in Finland, even amidst January snows. Of course, Brazilian culture is appreciated more widely too. Paolo Coelho, a member of the distinguished Brazilian Academy of Letters, is a very popular author in Finland, and of course your achievements in sports are well known to us, particularly in football and volleyball.

Brazil has within a short space of time evolved into a politically stable democracy — a fine success story and an important development for your continent as a whole. Your administration, Mr President, has initiated several important reforms aimed at eliminating famine and poverty and bringing more education particularly to the most impoverished areas of Brazil.

Here in Finland we value social justice very highly. We like to think of it as a traditional Finnish and Nordic value, and as such one of the guiding lights in all our policy. The society we have created is a just society for the individual, but it has also proved to be an excellent competitiveness factor in a world economy which is increasingly based on information and its application. Finland is not wealthy in natural riches, but we have for a long time invested in expertise and in research and development. Without the Finnish education system there would be no Finnish information society or welfare society.

Mr President,

We have both advocated a fairer globalization and expressed concern for the social impact of globalization and the inequality of income worldwide.

To solve global problems, we need global responsibility and global cooperation. The United Nations is more important today than ever. Finland appreciates the active and constructive role Brazil plays at the United Nations, and we also would like to see the United Nations’ role to become more important. Finland is supporting reforms aimed at making the United Nations more efficient, including the addition of new permanent members such as Brazil to the Security Council. We do not, however, support the extension of the veto.

Climate change is a global problem. It affects every single person on the planet, and its effects reach far into the future. It is our responsibility to stop this threatening development so that future generations can continue to live in this world.

An efficient, effective and comprehensive mechanism must be found for the post-Kyoto era. It is a positive sign that a climate summit is being held in New York in September, just before the United Nations General Assembly.

Your present visit has resulted in the signing of a letter of intent concerning emissions trading rights between Finland and Brazil — another example of potential North-South cooperation.

Reversing global warming requires, among other things, investments in alternative energy sources and in research on energy conservation. Both Finland and Brazil have a great deal of expertise in bioenergy and biofuels. Academic and scientific cooperation in this field will generate valuable capital for both our countries.

I would like to propose a toast to your health, Mr President and Mrs Lula da Silva, and to the continuing cooperation and friendship between Finland and Brazil!