Nordic Council continues to support Ukraine
The Nordic Council held meetings in Roskilde, 23–24 February. The members of the Council also visited Roskilde Cathedral, which is shown in the photograph.
At a dinner held during the meetings, the Ukrainian Deputy Ambassador updated the members of the Nordic Council on the situation in the war-torn country and thanked them for the continued support shown by the Nordic countries.
After twelve years of war and four of a full-scale war of aggression, we have greater experience of resistance that any of our allies. What we learn, Europe needs. And we are ready and willing to share it — because this is not just Ukraine’s war.
The chair of the Danish delegation to the Nordic Council, Lars-Christian Brask, reaffirmed Nordic support for Ukraine.
“The Nordic Council reiterates its strong condemnation of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We remain unwavering in our support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, its sovereignty, and the right of its people to determine their own future. For almost 75 years, the Nordic Council has stood up for democracy, international law, human rights and peace. We remain steadfast in our support for efforts to ensure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
Read the statement by the Presidium of the Nordic Council on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the attack on Ukraine here. Four years on – continued strong Nordic support for Ukraine
Security, the climate and welfare on the agenda
The February meeting marked the start of the political working year for the Nordic Council. The Presidium and four of the committees discussed topical issues that have an effect on co-operation between Nordic parliamentarians.
- The agenda for the meeting of the Presidium included security and preparedness, a key focal point of the joint Finnish and Åland programme for the Presidency of the Nordic Council this year. The Presidium also discussed a report about updating the Helsinki Treaty along with its authors, and other international questions, including the situation in Greenland and ongoing support for Ukraine.
- The Committee for a Sustainable Nordic Region focused on how the construction industry – one of the sectors that has the greatest impact on the climate – can be transformed and made more sustainable. Also on its agenda was better protection for Nordic consumers against greenwashing, a discussion that also included a presentation by the Nordic Swan Label.
- The Committee for Welfare in the Nordic Region considered a proposal for the countries to work more closely together to combat violence in intimate relationships. This issue will also be on the agenda when the Nordic Council participates in the UN Women’s Commission, CSW70, in March.
- KPMG brought the Committee for Growth and Development in the Nordic Region up to speed on the pension report that will be presented at the Theme Session in April. The Committee also discussed the Nordic Tax Agreement and a proposal for cross-border bank transfers and payment systems.
- Two visitors attended the meeting of the Committee for Knowledge and Culture in the Nordic Region. The Danish Minister for Culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, discussed co-operation on culture, and Gunn Hernes explained the financial situation of the Nordic House in the Faroe Islands. The Committee also put forward a new proposal to strengthen and formalise co-operation on outdoor life, with a particular focus on children and young people.
The policy proposals discussed at the Roskilde meetings will now be considered at the Theme Session in Oslo, 16–17 April, or the Session in Helsinki at the end of October.