To plan a common defence policy across Nordic countries, security matters should be more deeply rooted in the everyday work of parliaments, including creating a Nordic security and defence body, social democratic leaders from Nordic countries said at a meeting in Helsinki on Tuesday.
The SAMAK, the Co-operation Committee of the Nordic Social Democratic parties and trade unions, was hosted by Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and attended by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, former Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson and the Vice Chair of the Icelandic social democrats Guðmundur Árni Stefánsson, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian Prime Minister also attended.
“We [NATO] represent half of the world’s military might and half of the world’s economic might, and we provide security guarantees like no other- One for all, and all for one.
Bringing the Nordic family together around NATO’s table will make Finland and Sweden safer, our Alliance stronger, and the whole Euro-Atlantic area more secure,” Stoltenberg said in his speech.
The reason behind the social democratic push is that NATO membership of Sweden and Finland will likely increase the importance of the Nordics in Europe – a move which would come with greater responsibility for all European security and foreign policy.
Speaking of Sweden and Finland’s path towards NATO membership, Stoltenberg reiterated his optimism, noting that intensified negotiations would allow both countries to become military alliance members soon.
Looking towards the future, particularly China, Stoltenberg said that the West must not repeat its mistakes with Russia.
”What happens today in Europe, can happen tomorrow in Asia,” said Stoltenberg with a thinly veiled reference to relations between China and Taiwan.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
