Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at a state dinner hosted by President Enrique Bolaños of Nicaragua in Managua on 29 May 2004

I have always received a warm welcome in Nicaragua, but never as lavishly as during this visit. We can only say that over the years we have achieved close and warm relations. I have followed your country's changing fortunes for more than three decades and know that your path has not always been easy.

In spite of this, during my visits I have always met a people who look brightly to the future, see the good sides of their country and know how to enjoy its abundant natural beauty: the sea, lakes, mountains and fertile countryside. Joy has never been lacking even in difficult times.

Finland has been involved in developing your country, together with other aid providers, for the past twenty years. During this period the forms of cooperation have changed from a hesitant start to the systematic appropriation of funds for development projects. We have learned a great deal on both sides in the process. Learning is hard and mistakes happen, but we have always found a better way to work together.

Changes in the Finnish economy have influenced the volume of our cooperation. We have also been through harder times in Finland. Fortunately our economic development in recent years has been favourable and has allowed us to increase our development aid. The Finnish Government has decided to work resolutely to increase development aid.

Nicaragua is Finland's long-term partner country, one of the eight countries in the world with which we are engaged in extensive development cooperation. We are committed to continuing and expanding this cooperation in the coming years. I believe that our cooperation is mutually satisfactory. We want to promote the values that are important to us. These are democracy, good governance and promoting environmental protection. We want to improve the living conditions of the poor and promote the rights of vulnerable groups of people.

President Bolaños, I know that these same values are also dear to your heart and I believe that for this reason our cooperation is what it is at best: working together for a better tomorrow.

In recent years Finland has signed 15 million euros worth of cooperation agreements with Nicaragua. This money will be used in the next four years for the work to which we have committed ourselves in approving the Millennium Development Goals.

On Monday we intend to sign another agreement worth two million euros concerning aid that Finland wants to channel to the Nicaraguan state budget for social development programmes.

In addition to money, development also requires social justice and cohesion, and I am sure that Nicaragua is also striving to achieve this. Finns often complain about high taxes, but we wouldn't want to give up the good education system, health care and infrastructure that taxation allows us to maintain.

Commercial relations between Finland and Nicaragua have been quite modest, so in this area there is room for improvement. Perhaps free trade arrangements will bring positive development in this respect. Our goal is also to find ways to strengthen trade and development links as part of our cooperation. In this way we can gradually expand the fruits of development to commercial activities and create wealth.

After a long war Nicaragua has striven to reunite its political and economic life through a policy of reconciliation, which has hardly been easy. I believe that during reconstruction the goal has been to respect the requirements of democracy and work for the common good, however. During my visits over the years I have seen your country change for the better, but much remains to be done. Nicaragua is a poor country, we know, but you have assured us, President Bolaños, of your determined efforts to improve social cohesion in Nicaragua and we are ready to support you in this work.

In closing I would like to thank you for the hospitality and all the honours that I have received along with my husband. The human warmth of Nicaragua will remain eternally in our hearts.