Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja visits Norway
Press release 273/2011
20 October 2011
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja will visit Norway on 21 October and have talks with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in Oslo. One of the key topics of discussion will be promotion of foreign and security policy cooperation between the Nordic Countries. Development of economic and other forms of cooperation in the northern areas will also be addressed. The objective of such cooperation is to enhance the possibilities of Finnish companies to participate in the construction and other activities related to exploitation of the extensive oil and gas resources of the Barents Sea. The Ministers will also discuss the Russian relations and the common neighbouring country’s domestic policy situation.
The Foreign Ministers of Finland and Norway will also assess international questions on the agenda of the forthcoming Nordic foreign ministers meeting on 2 November, such as the development of the situation in the Middle East, Northern Africa and Afghanistan. Further topics include development of the Nordic UN cooperation and the possibilities of promoting Finnish candidature for a seat in the UN Security Council.
In addition, during his visit, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja will participate in a conference organised by the Norwegian ATTAC organisation. The conference will handle, for instance, a proposal for introduction of a financial tax within the EU. In his address, Tuomioja will present results of Finnish research on the impact of a financial tax. Deputy Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide will also speak at the conference.
During his visit, Tuomioja will also meet representatives of the foreign and security affairs committee of Stortinget, the Norwegian parliament. One of the topics of discussion with them will be development of economic and transport cooperation between the northern areas of Finland and Norway.
Further information: Counsellor Mikael Antell, Unit for Northern Europe, tel. +358 9 1605 5569, Tarja Kantola, Special Adviser to the Minister, tel. +358 9 1605 5016, and Susanna Parkkonen, Press Attaché to the Minister, tel. +358 9 1605 5012