Saariselkä, 22 December 2024
Thank you for the excellent discussion dear colleagues. I think it was really very good to sit down and discuss these issues.
Before I begin, I also want to express sadness about the events that happened in Magdeburg in the Christmas market. Our thoughts go out with the victims and their loved ones.
Coming to the summit, the main topic was security through different aspects. I think what is fundamental is that Russia poses a direct threat to European security. But security comprises of different elements, and they are different in the east, the south, the north, and the west. But we can tackle these issues if we act together, this is also fundamental. Security concerns we can tackle them by investing more in defence, and we discussed how we can do that.
Of course, it’s not easy. We know these discussions that we have on the European level, but we need to continue these and shoulder more responsibility. We need to find the ways. Because if we want to prevent the war, we really need to do more on defence. We have to invest in critical capabilities, that is also very clear.
We see all across Europe, different hybrid attacks, whether it’s sabotage acts, we see cyber-attacks also [Russia’s] dangerous shadow fleet, GPS jamming and damage to [subsea] cables, but also weaponizing of migration. And of course, it’s not always only weaponizing migration by malign actors, but it’s also criminal organizations that do it. And all these issues strain borders, resources, and our shared security. We must be proactive also in stabilizing the regions of origin when it comes to migration, not just reacting to the pressures at our borders.
What I want to stress is that when people are asked what they like about European Union, the first thing they say is free movement of people across Europe. But we can’t be both borderless inside and outside. That means we need to protect our external borders. And again, I think together, we can tackle these issues. Thank you very much for these discussions. I think we had a lot of thoughts to elaborate further […] And thank you for the excellent welcome here in Lapland. I hope this is not the last time we are here.
Are you optimistic that concrete decisions on defence will be taken in 2025?
HRVP: First, in February we have informal discussions. So it is important to have all the ideas on the table. It is true that we need to take some very important decisions in 2025. Because the problem with defence is that when you need it, you can’t make the decisions. You have to make them much earlier, when the times are much more peaceful. So it is clear that the security concerns are very, very high and we need to decide how we move forward. That, of course, comprises the question of funding, which is the most difficult. I’m also very happy that we circled some ideas here to develop further how we can solve this issue. And that everybody is willing to also think outside of the box. Because the problem is now, and we need to make decisions now.
Finland is considering abandoning the Ottawa agreement on land mines. Will the EU have an understanding on an issue like this?
HRVP: Member states are part of the Ottawa Convention. So it’s member states competence, whether they decide to join or not. And of course, these discussions are going on in different member states, not only in Finland. Because the one part is that, if there’s peace time, landmines do a lot of damage, especially to animals, but also to children, and there are a lot of consequences. On the other side, they are also quite effective when it comes to defence. These are the discussions that need to be held and I respect the member states who are having these. But the decision is the member states’ decision.
What is your message to the origin countries of migrants who are willing to risk their lives to come to Europe? Are EU member states now aligned on third country return centres and how the EU migration rules should change?
HRVP: First, the question is about the stability of the countries of origin as well. And there, you know, a good example is Syria, where we work together with the regional partners, because it is in everybody’s interest is that there is stability and peace in the region, and there is not a big flow of migrants.
When it comes to other countries, of course, we need to sit down with the countries also regarding our comprehensive partnerships. They have some interests that Europe could offer, but Europe also has interests on the European side, tackling the smugglers networks, for example, that we discussed also quite extensively here, because these are endangering people’s lives.
What we can do is work together with the regional actors for the stability of different regions where the migrants come from. Also, different projects that we have, for example, Global Gateway. If you have prosperity in the country, if you have jobs, people don’t want to leave their homes. They leave if they have to, either, you know there is war or it is not possible to live. That’s why we need to help those countries so that the people don’t want to leave or don’t have to leave their homes. This is what we can do together.
Source – EEAS