Ministers for Nordic Cooperation to Vaasa under the leadership of Alexander Stubb
Press release 229/2011
6 September 2011
Ministers for Nordic Cooperation will convene in Vaasa on 7-8 September under the leadership of the new Minister for Nordic Cooperation Alexander Stubb.
The ministers will meet over a working dinner on Wednesday 7 September when they will have a thematic discussion about Nordic border barrier cooperation chaired by Minister Ole Norrback, chairman of the Nordic Border Barrier Forum at the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The goal of the Nordic Border Barrier Forum is to remove barriers limiting the living, employment and studying of those moving between Nordic countries. The border barrier cooperation can also make commerce between the countries easier by removing existing barriers obstructing the operations of companies.
The issues on the agenda on Thursday 8 September include the next year's budget and the political priorities for cooperation for the next few years. In addition, the Ministers will discuss the neighbouring area policy of the Nordic Council of Ministers and adopt a new Arctic cooperation programme.
The meeting of the Ministers for Nordic Cooperation is one of main events during Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2011.
Ministers to have a lunch in an upper secondary school
Towards the end their meeting schedule, the Cooperation Ministers will get on their feet to visit the Vaasan lyseo upper secondary school, where the town of Vaasa will offer them lunch.
After the school lunch, the Ministers will participate in an open discussion ‘Young people in the North – The Nordic Countries of many opportunities’ at 12.45-1.55pm. The discussion will be chaired by Hippi Hovi, radio DJ from Radio Vaasa. Just like in other Nordic cooperation, the language spoken in the event will be ‘Scandinavian’.
The Nordic Committee for Cooperation assembles a day earlier
The Nordic Committee for Cooperation will assemble in Vaasa on Wednesday 7 September. The committee is tasked with preparing the decisions of Ministers for Nordic Cooperation and monitoring their implementation. Finland’s representative Bo Lindroos will act as chairman of the meeting.
Additional information: Bo Lindroos, Head of the National Secretariat for Nordic Cooperation, tel. +358 9 1605 5600, [email protected]
Interview requests: Antti Timonen, Press Attaché for Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb, tel. +358 40 590 7231, [email protected]
Additional information on the seminar ‘Young people in the North – The Nordic Countries of many opportunities’: Harri Varhama, regional information officer for Europe Information of Ostrobothnia, tel. +358 10 3456 550, [email protected]