Baltic Rim Economies 3/2023

Special issue on the relations between the two Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden

Two countries - one mission

"My home and the cultural heritage I manage is located in one of Östergötland's beautiful archipelagos, where the sea meets the mainland. Across the waters of the Baltic Sea, it is not very far to Åland and Finland. Once one country, today two countries and sovereign states, but with a common history and close ties. We are two countries with a common mission; to protect our home on earth, our common values, our culture and our languages, one of which we share."

Aron Emilsson
Member of the Swedish Parliament (SD), Foreign Policy Spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Riksdagen, Parliament of Sweden

Finland – Sweden relations on a new level

"First the pandemic and then the Russian full-scale attack on Ukraine has had a big impact on the relations between Finland and Sweden. The pandemic taught the Nordic states that they need to cooperate when a crisis hits, because crises can be dealt with only together. Besides, many national measures have effects that stretch over the border. The pandemic also made it difficult for Finnish companies to establish themselves on distant markets. Thus, the neighbouring region became more attractive also from a business point of view. The pandemic and its lessons learnt thus had a significant effect on the relations between the Nordic countries, especially on the relations between Finland and Sweden."

Maimo Henriksson
Ambassador of Finland
Embassy of Finland in Stockholm

A strong Swedish-Finnish defence cooperation

"The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine marks a pivotal moment in European security dynamics. As a direct consequence of the Russian invasion, Finland previously this year joined NATO with Sweden expected to soon follow suit. All in all, the strategic importance of the northern region has increased considerably over the past year and a half, clearly underlining the significance of the bilateral defence cooperation between our two countries. "

Micael Bydén
General, Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces
Sweden

We need a new survey on the relationship between Finland and Sweden

"People tend to refer to Nordic cooperation with praise – and, undoubtedly, there are good reasons for it. Since the 1950s, the Nordic countries have engaged in mutual interaction, with the results to show for these efforts. The most concrete example is passport-free travel, which guarantees that Nordic residents do not need a passport when travelling from one country to another. The Nordic countries have also conducted pioneering cooperation in many fields, such as social services and education."

Kari Häkämies
Region Mayor
Regional Council of Southwest Finland
Finland

Baltic Rim Economies 3/2023 in pdf