Dismantling of cross-border barriers and promotion of digitalisation Finland's objectives during Presidency of Nordic Council of Ministers

(Translation. Originally published in Finnish on 27 October 2015) Prime Minister Juha Sipilä's visit to Reykjavik started with the 67th session of the Nordic Council on Tuesday 27 October. In the session, Prime Minister Sipilä presented Finland's Presidency Programme and its main themes: water, nature and people. Finland is making preparations to assume the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers for the next year.

”Nordic cooperation is a cornerstone of Finland’s foreign policy and international cooperation. In today’s changing world and challenging environment, the Nordic countries are an ever stronger community. Our aim is to secure a robust North in a strong Europe. Together we can strengthen security in our own area and bring greater weight to promoting international security”, Prime Minister Sipilä said.  

Finland’s concrete objectives during the Presidency include the dismantling of cross-border barriers, the promotion of digitalisation and strengthening the weight of the Nordic countries in the European Union.

”Free movement is an integral part of our Nordic identity and one of the strengths in the Nordic societies. By dismantling cross-border barriers, we foster for example labour mobility and job creation, encourage the exchange of competence and fuel economic growth. Digitalisation offers many concrete opportunities that can be tapped into to strengthening the pioneering role of the Nordic countries”, said Sipilä.

Prime Minister Sipilä pointed out in his speech that the Nordic countries are one of the most innovative and competitive areas in the world.

”I have encouraged Finland and the Finnish people to engage in a bold and pioneering approach. Nordic cooperation needs a new leap too. We need to find new ways of thinking and new ways of doing things, so that there is better potential to develop the North both in terms of the domestic market and as a basis for international trade, investments and innovations. I have high expectations for developing Nordic cooperation”, said the Prime Minister.

Finland last held the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2011. Nordic Council of Ministers is an intergovernmental body for cooperation between the Nordic countries. It aims to find inter-Nordic solutions that have a clearly positive impact on its citizens.

Finland's Presidency Programme

Inquiries: Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen, Special Adviser (International Affairs), Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 40 748 3867 and Kari Kahiluoto, Chief of the Secreteriat for Nordic Co-operation, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 351 556