Finland has taken up the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers for 2011 from Denmark. The programme for the Finnish Presidency in 2011 has three main areas of focus. The first is to cope with and counteract climate change. The second priority is to continue with and develop concrete globalization projects and to invest in Nordic research excellence. Thirdly, Finland will aim to encourage greater grassroots participation among all citizens and young people in particular. Furthermore, efforts will be continued to remove obstacles to cross-border mobility.

“We want to see the Nordic countries take on a more prominent role in climate change mitigation,” Mr. Bo Lindroos, the Head of the Secretariat for Nordic Cooperation at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, explains. For Finland the most important aspect of Nordic cooperation is its pragmatic focus and continuity, adds Mr. Lindroos.

The Finnish Prime Minister will be launching the Presidency at the Nordic conference on sustainable development in Turku on 31 January – 2 February 2011.

Programme for the Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers 2011

Facts about Nordic Countries

Tags: nordic council of ministers, nordic countries