Rideau Hall, Thursday, October 9, 2014

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you, President Niinistö and Mrs. Haukio, as well as your entire delegation, to Canada.

Your visit here reminds us of how much our two countries have in common. We are both bilingual nations, and have similar commitments to democracy, security and the rule of law.

And, of course, we both have a considerable presence in the North. It is this fact, perhaps, that makes our countries’ relationship unique. We have a stewardship over a portion of our northern lands that we both take very seriously. It helps to define who we are, where we come from and where we want to go.

I think you will agree that the North is a place of great majesty, from the aurora borealis above to the vast and beautiful landscapes our peoples call home.

Canada has much to learn from Finland’s success in this region. Indeed, Canada can learn from your successes in many areas.

That is one reason why Canadians are investing in Finland; Canadian companies are the largest foreign employers in Lapland, for example. And Finnish businesses are looking to Canada for similar opportunities—they invested more than one billion dollars in Canada in 2010.

It makes sense, therefore, that Finland has put a Canada Action Plan in place, to help our countries strengthen our already close ties, particularly in the North, and as part of the Arctic Council.

Our peoples are already working together, in research and innovation, and in science and technology, to improve the way we live, work and play.

Yet, despite all that we have accomplished together, I am struck by the incredible potential we have to do so much more.

The exchange of knowledge and ideas at a variety of levels strengthens us as nations. It starts at the diplomatic level, with all of us, in this room, speaking face to face. And it continues with organizations and people with similar goals, and interested parties across borders. It is these people-to-people ties that propel our relationship.

I often speak of a country’s triangle of education, innovation and trade—all interrelated and all vital for our nations’ well-being. And when we bring together the mutual strengths within our own triangles, that strength is multiplied.

We do this through what I like to call the diplomacy of knowledge, a sharing of ideas across borders and disciplines and between peoples.

And what a great partner is Finland—a leader in terms of Arctic issues; an attractive investment climate; innovative; and respected around the world for its education systems.

I am pleased that you will be seeing many parts of Canada, discovering what Canadians have to offer and our willingness to collaborate with your country.

Canada and Finland have a long history of working, teaching and learning together. I hope that we can find more areas in which to collaborate, so that we may continue to build our future, as partners and as friends.

For nearly 70 years, our two nations have engaged in the kind of knowledge-sharing that stems from a close and friendly relationship. As we celebrate our ties here tonight, I would like to raise a glass to our shared history and to the promise of even more exchanges, as we work together towards a smarter, more caring world.