North and South come together – EU leaders discuss security at summit in Lapland
In a meeting hosted by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Saariselkä, Lapland on 21–22 December, a group of EU leaders held extensive discussions on Europe’s security challenges. The North-South Summit brought together perspectives from northern and southern Europe, especially with regard to security and migration.
Prime Minister Orpo had invited EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Greek Prime Minister Kyriákos Mitsotákis and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to take part in the summit under the polar night in snow-covered Lapland.
“I wanted to invite this group of leaders to Lapland to show them what kind of place Finland is. During their visit, the guests got to experience our northern climate, the polar night and the beautiful nature of Lapland. For our part, we gained a deeper understanding of the situation in southern Europe and the Mediterranean,” said Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Saariselkä.
The working sessions at the summit focused on the European security environment and migration. The leaders also heard a briefing on the northern security dimension by Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces Janne Jaakkola. Prime Minister Orpo was very pleased with the outcome of the discussions.
“We had a broad-based, wide-ranging exchange of views on security. It is rare to be able to to speak informally and confidentially about these matters in a small group,” said Prime Minister Orpo.
The leaders stressed the importance of strengthening European defence in order to counter the threat from Russia. The discussion continued on from the one started at the December European Council in Brussels. In Saariselkä, the leaders also discussed funding for European defence.
In their discussions on migration and the instrumentalisation of migration, the leaders explored the topic from the perspective of the EU’s long external land border to the north and with regard to the southern routes. Italy and Greece face particular pressure due to migration in the eastern Mediterranean. Major General Matti Sarasmaa from the Border Guard shed light on the challenges posed by instrumentalised migration at Finland’s eastern border.
Prime Minister Orpo noted that there are key differences between instrumentalised migration in the north and south of Europe. For example, migrants seeking to enter Finland are intentionally channelled to the border by Russia, whereas in the south, organised crime and human smuggling are often involved.
“What we have in common with the southern Member States is that we are working to protect our external borders and those of the European Union as a whole,” said Prime Minister Orpo.
While in Lapland, the EU leaders also had a lighter programme: they got to meet Santa Claus, visited a reindeer farm and took part in a variety of recreational activities.
Inquiries: Tuomas Tikkanen, Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister in European Affairs, tel. +358 40 523 5768, Elisa Tarkiainen, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 50 433 4533, and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office