Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at a banquet hosted by President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia in Riga on 9.5.2001

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I want to thank you, Madam President, for your invitation to pay a state visit to Latvia. My husband and I are delighted to visit your country also in an official capacity. We especially value the fact that our trip is taking place on the tenth anniversary of the reinstatement of Latvian independence and as Riga celebrates the 800th anniversary of its foundation.

Relations between Finland and Latvia are centuries-old. As neighbouring countries, we are united not only by our northern and Baltic location, but also by largely-similar cultural heritages and a position on the interface between East and West. One of the legacies of interaction between the Finno-Ugric and Balt peoples is the considerable number of loan words that our languages have taken from each other; place names of Livonian origin still dot the map of Latvia and our folk traditions have many features in common.

You, Madam President, are not only an expert in your own Latvian tradition, but also thoroughly familiar with the traditions of your neighbouring peoples. Therefore you know with scientific certainty how the same basic human emotions and experiences - from joy to sorrow, disappointment, longing and hope - are reflected in the epic and lyrical traditions of both Latvia and Finland. One could say that, in a way, different peoples were "recycling" songs among themselves long before that modern expression was invented. I have been told that the Latvian tradition of song is so rich that there is no occasion for which a suitable daina does not exist. I am sure your treasure chest includes some for state visits as well.

Our fates have at times intertwined so closely that we have been under the same ruler, first as part of Sweden in the 17th century and then within the Russian Empire in the 19th. During both eras, economic, ideological and artistic trends reached the countries on the shores of the Baltic at around the same time. Thanks to them, contacts between our countries have been lively, especially during the decades leading up to the achievement by both of national independence. As we walk today through the historical alleyways of Old Riga and admire the sights in the so-called New City - with a living textbook of real architecture before our eyes - we see even further evidence of links with our own history.

I have been following the Latvian Presidency of the Council of Europe with pleasure. I can say in all sincerity that I have heard nothing but laudatory assessments of your country's performance during your first stint at the helm. Efficiency and a practical grasp have been the hallmarks of the Latvian Presidency. This has been combined with a very ambitious work programme. I fully share your view that safeguarding the Council of Europe's human-rights-related expertise is of central importance. After all, the Council's fundamental task is specifically to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

I especially want to express my thanks for the work that Latvia is doing to cherish the linguistic diversity of Europe and highlight the importance of minor languages and cultures. Preserving minority languages is a prerequisite for the vitality of minority cultures. I believe that both in Latvia and Finland we, as speakers of minor languages, understand the importance of even the most minor of minority languages.

A sea can both separate and unite. The one that we share, the Baltic, united the peoples around its shores long before the advent of modern technology. As enlargement advances, the Baltic is becoming largely an inland sea of the European Union. It is a bridge between the countries surrounding it, whether they are in the European Union or outside it.

Today we can congratulate Latvia on having made significant progress towards membership of the EU. The country has a well-functioning market economy, the political criteria for membership have been met and legislation is already largely in line with EU standards. However, challenges in relation to implementing legislation, promoting social integration, strengthening democracy and the market economy as well as developing civil society should not be downplayed. Finland actively supports Latvia's candidacy in general and we are engaged in practical cooperation in a variety of sectors to develop your country's preparedness for membership. These include environmental protection, border controls and a language programme.

I hope that the future will also see even livelier direct links between NGOs working in various sectors. Cultural ties can look to the past for a solid foundation. To our great pleasure, links between us in modern creative arts - literature, music and the fine arts - have likewise been strengthening. Sport, from the javelin to ice hockey - or perhaps I should mention my own favourite, basketball - is another thing dear to the hearts of both our peoples. In terms of overnight stays, the Finns are already the biggest category of foreign visitors to Latvia. This is yet another sector with potential for further growth.

Every country has a right to decide on its own solutions with respect to security policy. Finland respects those solutions. We have our own positive experience of this on both the Nordic and the EU level. Although our countries have each made different choices, this has not prevented us from working together in international tasks - within a framework of cooperation between the Baltic States and the other countries around the sea as well as bilaterally - nor will it prevent us from doing so.

Contacts between our countries are growing livelier all the time. It is especially pleasing to see economic links, trade and investment flourishing so well. The fact that Finnish companies are locating in Latvia and investing in your industrial and business sector is the best-possible vote of confidence in the Latvian economy and endorsement of your faith in its future.

Now, on the threshold of summer, my husband and I as well as our party take joy in honouring the tenth anniversary of Latvia's independence. Permit me, Madam President, to raise my glass in a toast to the success of Latvia and her inhabitants in developing the security, economic wellbeing and culture of your country. To the future of good-neighbourly relations between Finland and Latvia as well as to the good fortune and health of yourself, Dr. Freibergs and your people!