MFA: Helsinki plays host to high-level event on regional cooperation in the north

The main themes of the event are climate change and accessibility. In global terms, the significance of the northern region, the Arctic and the Baltic Sea region is increasing. The aim of the event is to strengthen international, sustainable cooperation in the northern regions through dialogue and to reflect on both current challenges and future opportunities.

The event will be held at Finlandia Hall and will be opened by Prime Minister Antti Rinne and hosted by Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto. The event brings together participants from several different countries: representatives at ministerial level, high-level civil servants, experts, private-sector representatives and actors from civil society and academia.

The speakers include Icelandic Foreign Minister and Chair of the Arctic Council, Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Russian Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Dmitry Kobylkin and French Ambassador for the Arctic and Antarctic Ségolène Royal, who served as President of the 21st session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

“International cooperation is essential in combating climate change. We have many effective tools for cross-border cooperation in the northern regions. One of these is the 20-year-old Northern Dimension policy and its partnerships. We should harness all instruments of regional cooperation more effectively to respond to the challenges of today, such as climate change. Solutions related to mobility, modes of transport and telecommunications play a key role in developing the northern regions and can at the same time serve our environmental objectives,” Minister Haavisto says.

Follow the webcast from the event on Friday 29 November starting at approximately 9.30 at https://suite.icareus.com/web/bright/player/embed/webcast?eventId=37352866&playerId=37352823

Please find enclosed the event programme.

Inquiries: Desk Officer Outi Isotalo, tel. +358 295 351 748, Unit for Russia.

The Foreign Ministry's email addresses are of the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi.