Presented by the Norwegian ambassador, Mr. Nils Olav Stava, on behalf of Minister Heidi Grande Røys, who was absent due to sickness.

Nordic – Latvian dialogue conference “Welfare and Growth in Northern Europe – Foundation for Global Competitiveness of the Region”, April 4 2006, Riga.

Minister for Nordic Co-operation and Minister for Government Administration and Reform, Heidi Grande Røys, Norway, at the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Nordic Council of Ministers Office in Latvia.

Minister, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Nordic Council of Ministers, I would like to welcome you all to this conference. I would especially like to express my gratitude to you, Mr. Pabriks, for being with us today and for opening this conference.

Friends,
Our conference today is a sign to us all of the importance of co-operation and exchange of knowledge.

After World War II the Nordic countries greatly increased their co-operation and this was institutionalized in two main bodies: The Nordic Council which is the forum for the Nordic parliamentarians and The Nordic Council of Ministers which is the forum for co-operation among the Nordic governments.

The Nordic Council of Ministers brings together ministers and civil servants from Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden, as well as the autonomous territories of Greenland, the Faeroe Islands and Åland. The purpose is both dialogue and joint action.

Each of the five Nordic countries chairs this co-operation for a year at a time and this year Norway holds the chairmanship. One of our goals will be to continue to strengthen the Nordic co-operation with Latvia and our other neighbours in the Baltic area.

Already in January 1990, the Ministers for Nordic co-operation decided to investigate the possibilities of opening Nordic centres for information and culture in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. The background was a clear Nordic political will to support the Baltic nations. The Nordic flag with the eightwinged swan carried a strong moral and symbolic message.

The official launching of the Nordic Information Office in Riga took place on the 1st of April 1991. The office was one of the very first foreign representations in Latvia at that time.

Since then, the Nordic Council of Ministers and Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have developed increasingly broader and closer co-operation.

And the wheels of history have continued to turn. The enlargement of NATO and the European Union have been important steps to-wards security, economic development and welfare in this part of the Baltic region. Your active European engagement has also brought new elements into Nordic-Baltic co-operation. In this new Europe, regional co-operation will take on added importance and active Nordic-Baltic consultations and coordination in relation to European affairs will continue to be useful to all of us in safeguarding the common interests of the Nordic and Baltic countries.

Friends,
Smaller countries in the same geographical area often have common goals. And historical ties and geographical closeness between the Nordic countries and Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have contributed to the close relationship that now exists.

The Nordic countries share with Latvia and our other Baltic neighbours a number of important values and interests that we must continue to safeguard through good neighbourly relations.

These include:

• Security and stability;
• Democracy and human rights;
• A clean environment; and
• Economic development.

In order to promote these values and interests regional co-operation is not an option. It is a necessity.

After 15 years of Nordic-Baltic co-operation – largely characterized by support to development
– time has come for co-operation between equal partners. This is also reflected in the current guidelines for the Nordic Council of Ministers' co-operation with Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. This is also reflected in the membership of the Baltic countries in the Nordic Investment Bank.

Friends,
The restless times in international politics and the increasing level of international economic competition means that we must work closely together in order to succeed. We must maintain our policy dialogue and pool our resources, expertise and know-how in a strategic manner. We can make a greater impact together than on our own.

In this respect, the priorities of the current Norwegian chairmanship of the Nordic Council of Ministers are highly relevant. These priorities are:

• Co-operation in the North of Europe,
• The Nordic welfare model, and
• Knowledge, innovation and growth.

As regards co-operation in the North of Europe, we will continue to strengthen co-operation with Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. We believe, however, that the time is also ripe for increased co-operation with Russia. Also in this respect we believe that co-operation with you will be important. And I am also pleased that the Nordic Council of Ministers will open an Office in Kaliningrad this summer.

As far as the Nordic welfare model is concerned, the Nordic countries have succeeded in combining economic efficiency in a globalised economy with social inclusion and individual care. Although there are differences between the Nordic countries, this approach is often referred to as the Nordic welfare model.

As large Nordic welfare research programme draws to an end this year, various initiatives will be taken to assess the challenges faced by our welfare systems. A number of other initiatives will be taken to develop and strengthen the welfare model. One aspect will be to listen to and learn from the experience of others, such as Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

Knowledge, innovation and growth are very closely linked, and must be seen in concert. Knowledge and innovation are essential to growth. Working together on research and innovation improves the ability to compete in the international market, especially for small countries. Closer Nordic-Baltic co-operation can broaden our knowledgebase and increase our expertise in strategic areas.

Minister, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Nordic – Latvian - Baltic co-operation now reflects new conditions and new dimensions in our overall relationship. Together we must manage a long-term policy to develop our area as a dynamic and democratic part of Europe.

Regional cooperation is an ongoing process. We have done well together so far, but there is still much to be done. The conference today is another step in the right direction.

Thank you for your attention.