President Sauli Niinistö spoke about his visit to the United States in an interview with Lännen Media. The President does not believe the relations between Finland and the US will change after the election of the new US President. In the US, he wanted to hear about Syria and there were actually long talks about the issue. The President believes the Syria question can improve the relations between the US and Russia. He has understood that the ceasefire in Syria was based on negotiations between these two countries. President Niinistö adds that the situation in Syria looks better than before.
Catégorie : Presse Finlandaise
President Niinistö comments Finland’s relations with US
President Sauli Niinistö spoke at the spring meeting of Finnish Defence Association, Maanpuolustusyhdistys, this week. He said that Finland’s security and foreign policy has not changed though some had claimed so. Finland has reacted to the situation but not overreacted, the President explained. In his speech, President Niinistö emphasised collaboration with Sweden as well as transatlantic relations. He hopes that Finland and Sweden would do their best to improve the stability of the Baltic Sea region.
Media: Ilta-Sanomat
Date: 6.4.2016
Journalist: Mika Lehto
Main source: President Sauli Niinistö
Majority of Finns ready to give up raises for a year
Helsingin Sanomat has ordered a poll from TNS Gallup regarding Finns’ opinions on working life measures to improve Finland’s competitiveness. Finns would be ready to give up at least one working life benefit to create new jobs. The majority think that the best way to do this would be to give up raises for a year. More than half of the respondents also support cutting holiday pay by a third and extending annual working time by 24 hours without raising salaries. The least popular way to reduce employers’ costs is cutting evening and Sunday extras, the respondents found.
Media: Helsingin Sanomat
Finnish Forest Industries: Expense increases caused by emissions trade must be fully compensated
The Finnish Forest Industries says Finland can affect the competitiveness of domestic industry with its own decisions. The organisation maintains it is essential for the forest industry that the emissions trade compensation scribed in the government programme be fully put to use. The purpose of the compensation is that energy-intensive industries can be reimbursed for the expense increases caused by the EU emissions trade. If the compensation will be implemented only partially, Finnish industries will become less competitive in the future.
Media: Verkkouutiset
Date: 29.3.2016
Journalist: Heikki Jantunen
Main source: Finnish Forest Industries
Companies’ poor expectations improved slightly
Verkkouutiset writes that, according to the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, Finnish industry’s trust in the economy strengthened slightly in March. In February, it was the second weakest in the EU after Luxembourg. The construction branch’s trust was slightly above the EU-average and rose above its own long-term average. The service sector’s trust diminished and was below the EU-average. The retail trade’s trust grew stronger but remained the weakest in the EU.
Media: Verkkouutiset
Date: 29.3.2016
Journalist: Heikki Jantunen
Main source: EK
Minister Orpo gets to know civilian crisis management in Ukraine
Verkkouutiset writes that Interior Minister Petteri Orpo visits Ukraine this week and familiarises himself with Finland’s participation in civilian crisis management operations. There are over 30 Finns who work for OSCE and EU operations in Ukraine. The goal of the EU operation is to support and assist in reforming the Ukrainian security sector, and strengthen anti-corruption work in the Ukrainian government. The EU operation is a part of the EU’s common foreign and security policy.
Media: Verkkouutiset
Date: 29.3.2016
Journalist: Heikki Jantunen
Main source: –
« Turkey is part of the European family again »
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini and Turkey’s Minister for European Affairs Volkan Bozkir met in Helsinki on Wednesday last week. The Ministers did not discuss Cyprus in their meeting. The Ministers believe that the agreement between Turkey and EU facilitate their work in the refugee crisis. They also emphasise the excellent relations and flourishing collaboration between the two nations. In addition to the refugee crisis, the Ministers discussed Turkey’s and EU’s cooperation in terrorism prevention. Minister Soini mentioned at the beginning of the meeting that the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will visit Finland on 6 April.
Guest column: Farmers’ message is clear
Finland’s Prime Minister Juha Sipilä writes in Maaseudun Tulevaisuus about Finnish farmers’ plight. The situation is severe, for example, due to the removal of milk quotas in the EU, weak economic situation and the counter sanctions from Russia. The farmers’ message at the tractor demonstration was clear, PM Sipilä writes, and says that they will react to the situation and do everything they can to facilitate the situation. The European Union’s agriculture ministers met early this week, and solutions were expected to the difficult market situation. Some important issues for Finland progressed there, PM Sipilä says. A positive issue is that the reduction of agriculture bureaucracy was emphasised at the meeting. In this, the EU still has a lot of work to do.