Erkki Tuomioja named President of Nordic Council

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Finnish Social Democratic Member of Parliament and former Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja was named President of the Nordic Council on Thursday. Finland will hold the Presidency of the Council next year, and the next session will be held in Helsinki next autumn.
      The Nordic Council is a cooperative body of the parliaments of Denmark, Finalnd, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
      Tuomioja will take on the post at the beginning of next year, replacing Norway's Dagfinn Høybråten.
      Tuomioja has been involved in Nordic cooperation since the 1970s.
      "The world has changed dramatically", Tuomioja said on the eve of his selection in Oslo. He noted that the agenda of the Nordic Countries has merged with that of the entire world.
     
"The main focus is no longer on internal matters, although there is much to do in, say, the removal of border obstacles. However, this is no longer a reason to maintain this kind of a mechanism", Tuomioja said.
      "Now the question is what the position and influence of the Nordic region is in the nearby environment, in Europe, and in the whole world. Talk here is primarily about global climate change, the role of the Nordic Countries, the Baltic Sea, and the Arctic regions."
      Tuomioja feels that the traditional dealings over mutual issues are fairly minor.
      "They are important, but they exist and work fairly well. Small changes can always be made, but they do not require this sort of forum", he said.
     
So what is the Nordic Council needed for, if the agenda is the same as that in other international fora?
      "The matter is naturally based on the fact that the Nordic Countries have the same kinds of social structures. Although there are differences, they separate us from the rest of the world. We have much to give the world. We are countries of like minds, we are looked at and looked to, and we should be able to wield influence together."
      According to Tuomioja, the past year has gone by moderately well.
      "Nobody here can perform any great feats of heroism. This is not the same kind of achievement or as demanding as holding the EU Presidency."


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Nordic foreign ministers discuss security policy matters once again (1.11.2007)

Links:
  Nordic Council and Nordic Council of Ministers website

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