Rideau Hall, Thursday, October 9, 2014

Sharon and I are delighted to welcome you to Rideau Hall and to Canada.

Your visit here is a sign of the enduring friendship that exists between Canada and Finland. I am grateful that you have come all this way to discuss our future collaborations. Here with you is a bright and enthusiastic delegation, and I urge all of its members to seek out like-minded Canadians to discuss the issues that demand our attention. Issues such as education, innovation, trade, research, the mobility of youth, the Arctic—each is worthy of discussion.

Finland and Canada are both northern countries, dedicated to democracy, peace, prosperity and the rule of law. And there are already so many areas in which our countries are working together.

Our priority now is to discover what more we can do. 

President Niinistö, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, not only for your friendship, but also for your leadership. You have ensured that Canada and Finland work together closely, in organizations such as the Arctic Council, for example, to meet challenges and to promote partnerships.

On a personal note, it is inspiring to see how you support young people in your country. You and I both know that children’s well-being is of the utmost importance to our countries. We must do what we can to protect and educate them in as many ways as we can. 

We have much to learn from one another, and I look forward to speaking with you about the similarities between our countries and peoples, the values we share, the unique challenges we face and our potential for greater partnerships.

I have always maintained that face-to-face discussion is essential to diplomatic ties, which is why I am so pleased to welcome you here today.

As you visit this country, and see it with your own eyes, meet with its people, and engage in the future of Finland-Canada relations, I hope that our countries will discover new ways to make this a smarter, more caring world.

Thank you.