See pictures of the visit on Flickr. The pictures may be used freely if credited.

The Speaker of the Finnish Parliament is on an official visit to Norway. On Wednesday 15 June she met the President of the Storting, Olemic Thommessen, as well as the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence and First Vice President Marit Nybakk at the Storting (Norway’s parliament).

“A close relationship”

“The leaders of the Nordic parliaments meet on a regular basis,” Thommessen said after his meeting with Lohela. “Having good, close relations means a lot to us. The meetings are important because we get to know how the Finnish Parliament is approaching current issues that concern us and are dominating the European political debate – like democratic developments in Ukraine and migration.”

“We also talked about the Arctic,” he added. “It is important for the Nordic countries to coordinate and be active on this issue.”

Finland’s 100-year anniversary

In the meeting between the two parliamentary presidents, Thommessen proposed a seminar which the Storting would organise at the beginning of Finland’s centennial anniversary year. Lohela received the idea warmly, and said she would like very much to return to Oslo with a group of younger members of her parliament. She thinks it is important for young people in Finland to become more aware of the value of Nordic cooperation.

Thommessen and Lohela will see each other again in connection with the NB8 meeting in August, where parliamentary presidents of the Nordic and Baltic countries will meet, and in connection with the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in September. Thommessen said Thursday’s meeting was good preparation for the upcoming gatherings.

“Very interesting” debate in Finnish Parliament

While at the Storting, the Finnish Speaker also met with the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. Among the topics discussed was Finland’s 100th anniversary, migration, relations with Russia, Brexit and the future of the EU, the debate on Finnish membership in NATO, cooperation in the north and Finland’s high quality of education.

“As our neighbour, Finland faces many of the same challenges that we do, so it is very interesting for the committee to hear how the political debate is unfolding in the Finnish Parliament,” committee Chair Anniken Huitfeldt (Labour) said after the meeting.

“Visiting Norway is like meeting a close family member,” said Lohela. “Norway and Finland are similar in so many ways, and we share the same values. I look forward to further developing our relationship, which is already so close.”

The Finnish Speaker will continue her official visit to Norway on Thursday 16 June with activities including an audience at the Royal Palace and a meeting with Minister of EEA and EU Affairs Elisabeth Aspaker, who is also Norway’s Minister of Nordic Cooperation.