Russian parliamentarians at the Nordic Council Session

Foreign policy featured prominently at the Nordic Council meeting in Tampere, Finland.

On the Presidium's agenda were issues regarding future meetings with Russian parliamentarians, roundtable discussions on defence policy and proposals for meeting with the Baltic Assembly, as well the Visegrad countries and representatives for the new parliament in Ukraine.

Dialogue is the way forward

Russia's participation in the Session was the cause of the most discussion. All the members of the Presidium stressed the importance of a clear statement against Russia's actions in Ukraine and the violations of other countries' territorial borders. At the same time it was argued that continued dialogue is the best way forward in relations with Russia.

Defence talk

For the second consecutive year, the Nordic Council is also inviting the Nordic defence ministers and the chairpersons of the Nordic parliaments' defence committees to a roundtable discussion on defence and security policy. This year's topic will be "Europe post-Crimea - implications for European security and Nordic defence co-operation".

This year Norway chairs the Nordic countries' organisation for defence co-operation, NORDEFCO, so the roundtable discussion will be held in Oslo this year on 13 October.

The possibility of discussing the events in Ukraine and the terror organisation ISIS, its role in Syria, Iraq and the surrounding world was also raised at the Nordic Council Presidium meeting.

The Nordic Council was also prepared to send a delegation to Tallinn. This would be as a follow-up to previous meetings with the Baltic Assembly. Subsequent meetings are planned with the Visegrad countries and perhaps also with representatives from the new parliament in Ukraine.