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Nordic and Baltic prime ministers convened in Helsinki

Government Communications Department
Publication date 1.11.2017 14.38
Press release 495/2017

The prime ministers of the Nordic countries convened on 1 November 2017 for their regular meeting in connection with the Ordinary Session of the Nordic Council in Helsinki. The Nordic prime ministers then met the prime ministers of the Baltic countries.

The meeting of the Nordic prime ministers discussed topical international and European affairs, such as the EU Social Summit being hosted by Sweden in November 2017. The prime ministers also deliberated ways to improve competitiveness in the region, ‘green change’, implementing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and ways to prevent radicalisation.

In the meeting of the Nordic and Baltic prime ministers, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä gave a presentation on hybrid threats and cybersecurity. Sipilä stressed the importance of international cooperation.

‘Finland has a lot to offer in terms of international cooperation in combatting hybrid threats. I’m very pleased with how much interest the EU and NATO countries have expressed in the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats that was set up in Helsinki. Already 12 countries have joined the operations,’ says Prime Minister Sipilä.

The meeting also discussed the situation in the Baltic Sea Region, energy security and other topical European matters and transatlantic relations. 

Finland served as the technical host of the meeting of the Nordic prime ministers, because Finland is presiding over the Nordic Council this year. Norway, which holds the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, chaired the meeting. The previous meeting of the Nordic prime ministers was held in May in Bergen.

The following represented their countries in the meeting: Prime Minister Juha Sipilä of Finland, Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven of Sweden, Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen of Denmark, Minister for Nordic Cooperation Kristján Þór Júlíusson of Iceland, Prime Minister Jüri Ratas of Estonia, Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis of Latvia and Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis of Lithuania.

Inquiries: Jani Raappana, Special Adviser (international affairs), tel. +358 40 748 160,306, Prime Minister's Office, and Kari Kahiluoto, Chief of the Secretariat for Nordic Cooperation,  tel. +358 295 160 196; and Päivi Paasikoski, Head of Communications, tel. +358 40 547 6279 and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 5302, Government Communications Department