A diverse discussion palette for Foreign Minister Kanerva in Denmark

In his visit to Denmark on 8 October, Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva had a varied agenda ranging from politics to culture; the topics discussed extended from the Finnish chairmanship of the OSCE in 2008 to the possibilities for Denmark to serve as Finnish artists’ springboard to the world. During his tightly packed visit, Foreign Minister Kanerva met with his Danish colleague, Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller and also with the Secretary General of the Secretariat for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the leadership of the Cultural Institute of Finland in Copenhagen and Finpro.

Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva paid a visit to Denmark on 8 October, where he met with his Danish colleague, Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller. The ministers discussed current issues with regard to the European Union, such as the Reform Treaty and EU relations with Russia and NATO. Also on the agenda were Afghanistan and the UN Climate Conference to take place in Copenhagen in 2009. Finally, the ministers discussed Finland’s chairmanship of the OSCE beginning in 2008 and topical matters involving Nordic cooperation.

During his visit, Foreign Minister Kanerva also visited the Finnish Embassy, where he met the Embassy staff, and became acquainted with the operations of the Cultural Institute of Finland and Finpro, which are housed in the Embassy office premises. The foreign minister gave a short talk on trends in Finland’s foreign policy. He was followed by Ambassador Eero Salovaara, who told about the Embassy’s news. Aija Bärlund, Finnpro’s director, described Finpro’s activities for the foreign minister and Esa Alanne, director of the Cultural Institute of Finland, talked about events in the sphere of culture. In particular, cultural exchange between Denmark and Finland sparked discussion, as Denmark often serves as Finnish artists’ springboard to the world. The personnel were also interested in the minister’s views about environmental issues involving the Baltic Sea.

During his tightly packed programme, Kanerva also met with Spencer Oliver, Secretary General of the Secretariat for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. They discussed the Finnish chairmanship of the OSCE beginning in 2008.