Norway, Finland, and Sweden: Discussing New Cooperation Structure in the High North

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The Finnish government is currently developing a program to strengthen activity and security in northern Finland. One idea is to design a joint strategic agenda for the northern parts of Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

This is now in play between the countries, the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide (Labor) told High North News at the recent Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø.

“I greatly appreciate this interest from Finland, and this is not only a Finnish idea. We have been discussing for quite a while now how we can strengthen northern Nordic cooperation,” Barth Eide points out.

He refers to processes already underway for closer interaction at the Cap of the North in and around the defense sector, but also within academia, such as the university alliance Arctic Six.

“Now, Finland and Sweden are NATO members. We are all investing heavily in defense. With their accession to the alliance, of course, comes the need for new transport corridors, such as roads and other infrastructure, and with that in turn comes new opportunities for jobs and value creation,” says the foreign minister and continues:

“I believe very much in this North Nordic cooperation, and it is a very good thing that it is also high on the Finnish government’s agenda.

New framework underway

Designing a preferably specific strategic agenda for the northern Nordic region is one thing. Implementing it within an appropriate framework is another.

Finland announced this fall that it would leave the Barents Euro-Arctic Council after 2025. Is a new structure for Norwegian-Finnish-Swedish cooperation in the North under development?

“State secretaries from Norway, Finland and Sweden are, on their ministers’ authority, currently very much discussing how to answer this question. The Barents cooperation with Russia, as we knew it, was a great initiative – a child of its time. But times have changed, and we are now looking into what we will replace it with,” says Barth Eide.

He explicitly refers to his State Secretary, Maria Varteressian (Labor); Pasi Rajala (National Coalition Party), State Secretary for Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense; and Dag Hartelius (Moderates), State Secretary in the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They were all present at Arctic Frontiers in Tromsø.

“To which extent will this replacement be built on what we had – and to which extent will it be new? I do not know now how it will be, but what I can tell you is that there is a mutual interest in finding a joint answer to that very good question,” the minister underlines. 

It is important to create a new form of cooperation that includes both regional and national levels, the regional leaders in Northern Norway said to High North News this autumn. 

– A lot to learn from our Finnish friends

Adjacent to ongoing defense investments and relevant regarding more northern Nordic cooperation is the concept of total defense, which also encompasses civil preparedness and resilience, Barth Eide points out.

“In these areas, we have a lot to learn from our Finnish friends. I don't think there is a Finn who has ever believed that history could not repeat itself. So, they have continued to plan to be as robust as possible in the event of a new invasion scenario,” he says and continues:

“They stood on their own as a militarily non-allied, and now they are part of NATO. The Finnish experience offers many learning points for the rest of us, such as Norwegians and Swedes.”

Emphasis on potential

“I would also like to add one thing: When we are now expanding our cooperation, it is because there are no longer any restrictions as all three countries are members of NATO and the EU or the European Economic Area,” Barth Eide emphasizes.

“We are trading partners and close in many ways. For example, we have an integrated energy system, which is one of the oldest in the world. All obstacles are gone, the opportunities are enormous – and we must seize these,” he states.

In the bigger picture 

On stage during Arctic Frontiers, the minister also places the Norwegian-Finnish-Swedish border-crossing cooperation in the North into a larger context:

“We got a different future in the Arctic than we thought. We are in darker times. We have also had some surprises. I have learned the word ‘manne,’ the Northern Sámi word for ‘why,’ which is relevant in relation to the discussion about Greenland [ref. Trump's statements, ed note], says Barth Eide in his speech and continues:

“An important insight into foreign and security policy, as I see it, is that in order to go beyond borders – which is this year’s title for this conference – it is important to have clear borders as a foundation.”

“Now, there is a lot of emphasis on how the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, and Finland can cooperate more closely. There are new opportunities that we are now developing together with the Finns and Swedes in our part of the Arctic. Thank God that we agree on where the borders are between us, he underlines. 

The Finnish perspective

The aforementioned state secretaries spoke less specifically about the development of northern Nordic cooperation when they also participated in the "Arctic State of Affairs" session.

At the same time, Rajala and Hartelius' more general remarks provide some insight into our neighboring countries' approaches to trilateral cooperation across the Cap of the North.

“What has not changed in the Arctic is the necessity to combat climate change and to prioritize the people living in the region. Similarly, there is a necessity to work on the economy and infrastructure,” says the Finnish State Secretary.

Rajala believes that the change lies in the intensified competition for the region. Russia and China are in a kind of marriage of convenience that the US is "clumsily" trying to counter (ref. Greenland), he points out – and notes that Finland, Norway, and Sweden are among those who find themselves in the middle of this tug-of-war.

“Going forward, it is important that we strengthen our presence as NATO allies in the region; increase our visibility and develop our capabilities to ensure that the neighborhood is strong. And that we use the instruments that we have, including the Arctic Council, to avoid unintended consequences. To ensure that we do not make any mistakes, Rajala says.

“We must stand our ground, be prepared, resilient and active – both militarily and economically," he also emphasizes.

With Swedish eyes

The state secretary from Sweden reminisced about when he had a stopover in Tromsø while on the way to Kirkenes nearly 32 years ago.

“We [representatives of Sweden, Norway, Russia, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and the EU Commission, ed. note] gathered there to establish the Barents Cooperation. The atmosphere was characterized by optimism and hope. Now, we are facing serious challenges, primarily Russia's war against Ukraine,” says Hartelius.

But sitting still and wallowing in the gloom does not help, he says and adds that we should also direct our gaze toward positive tendencies, even if they are few. 

“I would argue that Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO is such a positive trend because it increases security in the region. The enlargement of NATO will also bring investments into civil society as we need to build infrastructure – and connect Norway with Finland through Sweden. These are opportunities, this is growth.”

Hartelius also believes in the Swedish, Finnish, and Norwegian economies and the will to sufficiently invest in infrastructure, in addition to the booming defense budgets:

“All these countries are quite prosperous. We have to fulfill our obligations as NATO members. And if you ask someone in Sweden the question, ‘What about our own north?’, the answer 20 years ago would have been pessimistic. But now the region is flourishing: there are large investments in mining linked to Europe’s economic security and an emphasis on innovation. This gives reason to be an optimistic realist.”