Finland’s Niinistö to attend Munich security conference
Finland’s president Sauli Niinistö is to attend this year’s Munich Security Conference this weekend.
He will join a panel discussion on the conflict in Ukraine that will also feature Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö will attend the Munich Security Conference this weekend. The annual conference will this year focus on ‘the collapse of the international order’, with the crisis in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the fight against terrorism and the global refugee crisis all on the agenda.
Niinistö will join a panel discussion on Ukraine and European security that will also feature the Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko. His programme will also include bilateral meetings with other world leaders.
Finland’s head of state has often spoken of his concern about deteriorating relations between Russia and the west in the light of the war in Ukraine. This year’s Munich conference takes on greater significance because of the Ukraine crisis, with US Secretary of State John Kerry visiting Kiev on Thursday, the eve of the conference.
This year will be the 51 time the Munich conference has been held. It will host some 400 foreign and security policy experts, including around 20 heads of state or heads of government and some 60 ministers. John Kerry, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will all be attending the conference.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Will Russia’s actions in Ukraine affect relations in the Arctic Council?, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: “Cold war looming, sanctions our best bet,” says Finland’s PM, Yle News
Iceland: From Arctic Circle 2013-2014, a big drop in the price of oil, Blog by Mia Bennett
Norway: Deteriorating relations with Russia shouldn’t affect Barents drilling: Norway, Barents Observer
Russia: Russia wants Total out of Arctic project, Barents Observer
United States: Pentagon: Climate change is national security risk, Barents Observer
