"The key concept underpinning Nordic co-operation is that our countries are able to achieve more by working together than in isolation. Our partnerships are based on a common history and culture, similar social values and, to a certain extent, shared languages,” Vapaavuori said in a speech to the closing conference of Year 1809 at the Hanasaari Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre this week.

The level of understanding of each others’ languages in the Region has suffered as English has become increasingly dominant at international level. Vapaavuori stressed how much damage it would inflict on Nordic organisations if they were to communicate in English and advocated improving the understanding of the Scandinavian languages throughout the Region as a more palatable alternative.

“Our aim is to make all Nordic citizens capable of communicating with each other in one of the Scandinavian languages,” he concluded.

Year 1809 was a government project to mark the bi-centenary of the dissolution of the union between Finland and Sweden, which lasted for more than six centuries. The aim was to improve the sense of affinity between the two countries by drawing attention to their joint cultural heritage and history.

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Anna-Christina Niesvaara, tel.: +358-9 432 4130/mobile: 358+50 574 1657