Opening remarks by Minister Elina Valtonen, National Opening of Finland’s OSCE Chairpersonship

Opening remarks by Elina Valtonen, Chairperson-in-Office of the OSCE, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, National Opening Event of Finland’s OSCE Chairpersonship, Finlandia Hall, 3 February, 2025

Minister Iloniemi, Ambassadors, distinguished guests,

Welcome to the newly renovated Finlandia Hall. It is an honour to welcome you to precisely this building, where the original Conference on the Security and Cooperation in Europe was held, 50 years ago.  

In 1975, the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act was in many ways considered radical. At the time, Europe was both physically divided, in the form of the Iron Curtain, as well as ideologically divided. Yet 35 countries agreed on principles such as territorial integrity and the respect for human rights. The adoption of the Helsinki Final Act was an expression of a common belief that transcended both borders and ideologies: the human yearning for freedom and peace.

The Helsinki Final Act planted a seed that set into motion an unstoppable snowball effect, which would lead to the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the bipolar Cold War world order. It was a seed, which would flourish in the minds of the workers striking at Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk 1980 and in the hearts of the people holding hands to form the Baltic Way in 1990.

The desire for peace and freedom is universal.

In 1975, in this hall, US President Gerard Ford said: “We are bound together by the most powerful of all ties, our fervent love for freedom and independence, which knows no homeland but the human heart.”

This citation, though 50 years old, encompasses the idea behind the Finnish Chairpersonship. The desire to live in peace, and the freedom to make choices regarding our future was guiding us back then - and is - the essence of OSCE’s work today. This is why we have placed the Helsinki Principles at the core of our Chairpersonship.

Distinguished guests,

Almost three years have passed since the Russian Federation started its war of aggression in Ukraine. The war continues to undermine the European security order. Supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence is at the heart of our Chairpersonship.

Some might think that Russia’s actions rendered the Helsinki Final Act meaningless. However, the opposite has happened. People in Europe now understand the importance of freedom even more clearly than before. As the OSCE Chair, we must hold the torch of hope high, despite efforts by Russia and others to extinguish its flame.

Our task as Chair is to ensure that our shared principles are not merely memories of the past but continue to live and guide us through these difficult times. The people of the participating States deserve to live in freedom, peace and security, working together to build Europe’s future. In the words of Leonid Brezhnev, expressed in this hall 50 years ago: The right to peace must be guaranteed for all the peoples of Europe.

Distinguished guests,

There is a lot we can learn from the past, but let us look at the future. And let’s be honest: the mere existence and continuation of an organization cannot be its raison-d’être. What role does the OSCE hold in the future?

As the chairperson-in-office, I would like to suggest two goals, one in the short term and one in the long term.

In the short term, I am sure this year will be decisive for European security. There cannot be negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine, but there evidently cannot be negotiations on Europe without Europe.

The OSCE has never been an organization for like-minded States. Rather participating States, with varying national interests and concerns have come together and found a decisive common denominator: security and cooperation in Europe. 

The OSCE is a well-equipped and respected party to represent and uphold Europe’s security architecture and for achieving lasting peace in Ukraine and our continent - before, in and after potential peace negotiations. The OSCE mandate would be clearly defined and based on consensus.

In the long term, the OSCE needs to reform and adapt to our thus far constantly evolving security environment. Whatever the future may hold, one thing is sure: there will be a need for cooperation to ensure the security of Europe.

Therefore Finland has initiated discussions on the future of the OSCE. These will be facilitated in the form of small group discussions in Vienna and the results will be reported to the Ministerial Council at the end of the year. As the Chair of the OSCE, we are committed to dialogue with all participating States.

We will also establish a Helsinki+50 fund. The aim is to enhance the use of voluntary funding for the OSCE to deliver on its mandate, based on principles and commitments of the OSCE. It is our collective duty to ensure that the OSCE - and certainly the principles at its core - survive not only to their 50th anniversary but also beyond.

Distinguished guests,

It is an honour for me to act as the Chair of the OSCE. The future holds many challenges, both for the OSCE as an organization and for the security of Europe.

Let me therefore return to where I started this speech: the Helsinki Principles. If the Helsinki Principles did not already exist, they would need to be written now.  

Thank you for your attention.