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The President of the Republic of Finland: Speeches and Interviews

The President of the Republic of Finland
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Speeches, 5/8/2008

Speech by President of the Republic of Finland Tarja Halonen at the Überseeclub in Hamburg, 8 May 2008

(check against delivery) Our common Baltic Sea region – Future challenges

Hamburg has always been an important centre in the Baltic Sea region, and there have always been close connections between Finland and Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg. Because of this, I am very pleased to be able to speak here today, at the distinguished Überseeklub. This club has over the decades become an important institution that is widely appreciated beyond the borders of Germany. We might also say that a Finnish Überseeklub tradition has emerged, as I am the third President of Finland invited to speak here, following President Urho Kekkonen in 1979 and President Martti Ahtisaari in 1998.

We greatly appreciate the choice of Finland as the partner country for the 819th Hafengeburtstag Hamburg. The Port of Hamburg is showing a rapid rate of growth, which is set to continue with the growth of world trade. Finland is the fourth-largest customer at the container port in Hamburg, and obviously the development of the Port of Hamburg is important for Finland too. One demonstration of this is the Finnish-German port logistics forum held today, featuring some thirty ports and companies from Finland.

In the next few days, you will be seeing and experiencing interesting Finnish events all over Hamburg. The annual Hafengeburtstag Hamburg is a fine tradition, and I believe that it contributes to mutual understanding and cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.

The Press Photo of the Year in Finland last year was a shot of a single sailboat winding its way through the Baltic Sea, leaving a blue trail in a mass of blue-green algae. This picture is a concrete indication of the alarming state of the Baltic Sea.

This sea of ours is a shallow and cold area of brackish water which is almost cut off from the ocean. Everything that happens in its catchment area, especially human action, affects it. Over the past 50 years, the sea has become polluted and eutrophicated with the constantly multiplying loading from discharges into the sea.

Eutrophication can be curbed if the nutrient loading from communities, agriculture, transport and industry is effectively reduced. Major progress has already been made in reducing the nutrient load, but regeneration of the sea will only occur over a longer period. Despite much protective action, the levels of environmental toxins in the Baltic Sea are many times higher than in the oceans of the world.

The plan of action adopted last year by the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, the Helsinki Commission, is a good example of the will of the countries in the region to save the Baltic Sea. We must support the implementation of this plan by all possible means. I would even suggest for a faster timetable for the implementation, because nature will not wait! The more we postpone protective measures, the more difficult and the more expensive they will become. There are some positive signs and it is encouraging to see the progress that has already been made for example in St Petersburg and in Poland.

The sea connects lands and peoples. Safe and secure shipping is a vital part of this co-operation. More than 80% of Finland’s foreign trade is shipped across the Baltic Sea. For Russia too, the Baltic Sea is an increasingly important transport route. Russia is expanding its ports on the Gulf of Finland, and a major part of Russia’s foreign trade is now shipped across the Baltic Sea.

Oil and chemical products are a particularly strong growth sector in the Russian foreign trade. In 1995, about 20 million tonnes of oil was transported along the Gulf of Finland. In 2006, the figure was 140 million tonnes, and it is expected to increase up to 240 million tonnes per year by 2015.

Hamburg well understands the importance of the Baltic Sea as a transport route. As traffic increases, the risk of accidents grows too. It is in the interests of all countries to improve safety at sea.

Improving safety at sea requires enhanced measures and joint efforts. Creating a joint maritime picture of the entire Baltic Sea would be a good step. This would give the coastal authorities in all countries an overall picture of all shipping in the Baltic Sea and enable constant monitoring and guidance. One possibility would be to introduce compulsory piloting for oil and chemical tankers in the entire Baltic Sea. Also, we could require ships to fulfil certain technical standards and ships’ crews to fulfil competence standards. Development of charts and navigation systems is always a good investment.

In order to prepare for possible accidents, rescue cooperation along the Baltic Sea should also be further developed. For example, there is a critical shortage of oil spill response vessels and materials all over the Baltic Sea region.

The countries in the region must also seriously and openly consider alternative routes and means of transport. Of course, these have their own logistical challenges and environmental impacts too. There are no easy solutions.

All of the measures I have discussed require cooperation between all countries in the region. Establishing a consensus will not be easy by any means. We have already made a good start, but the sea will not wait. We must take action now.

Some results have been achieved. The Gulf of Finland Reporting System, or GOFREP, jointly operated by Finland, Russia and Estonia has been in place since 2004. Experiences have been good, and the system is being further developed. Under GOFREP, ships entering the Gulf of Finland will receive information on other ships in the area. Enlarging this system to cover the entire Baltic Sea would increase the safety of shipping.

The Baltic Sea is covered by the universal regulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). On the initiative of the Baltic Sea countries, the IMO has granted the Baltic Sea the status of a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area. This achievement must be exploited for the benefit of the Baltic Sea. Only double-hulled tankers are allowed in the Gulf of Finland. Single-hulled vessels will be completely banned after 2009.

The Nord Stream gas pipeline being planned from Russia to Greifswald in Germany has been met with mixed emotions in the Baltic Sea countries. Finland considers the project a way of improving energy security in Europe. The pipeline in itself is a safe way of conveying gas, but we want — and indeed our legislation requires — that all environmental factors involved in the project will be carefully studied. When Finland decides on whether to allow the use of her sea areas, the decisions will be based on environmental factors.

The Baltic Sea states, who are joined by the sea, have cooperated throughout history. We all know one another, and we have learned how to talk about things and how to find solutions to problems. We are also systematic, which is probably why a large group of bodies actively involved in the protection of the Baltic Sea has emerged, from intergovernmental and official bodies to organizations, foundations and associations formed by cities, regions and private citizens. The principal matter, saving the Baltic Sea, calls above all for a coherent action between all the actors.

The European Union is currently preparing a Baltic Sea Strategy of its own. It is scheduled to be completed in 2009, when Sweden will hold the EU Presidency. Finland has been charting its own views and needs with regard to the Baltic Sea Strategy of the EU. Our aim is a clean Baltic Sea and an economically strong and prosperous Baltic Sea region.

The Baltic Sea Strategy is primarily an internal EU matter strategy, but in order to achieve tangible results we need to have co-operation with other countries too.

This is particularly true of Russia, which is a major player in the Baltic Sea region. We cannot talk of true cooperation if Russia is not involved. Of course, in this cooperation we expect positive input from Russia too. Norway and other countries in the Baltic Sea catchment area such as Belarus must also be taken into account.

We in Finland feel that the EU Northern Dimension Policy provides a suitable framework for Baltic Sea cooperation. Partnerships under the Northern Dimension have produced good results, and these should be further developed and exploited. The already proven environmental partnership and social and health care partnership will soon be joined by a transport and logistics partnership.

Both Finland and Germany have a Baltic identity. Here in Hamburg you know very well that Germany’s contribution to cooperation in the Baltic Sea region is very important. I hope that the northern Länder can convince the German Federal Government of the importance of safeguarding the future of the Baltic Sea.

Finland and Germany are partners of extensive and close cooperation in all areas. I hope and trust that we can continue to improve our actions for the benefit of the Baltic Sea.

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Updated 5/8/2008

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