Your Excellencies, Distinguished Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps
Thank you, Ambassador Buljević, for your kind words as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps.
I would also like to express my gratitude for the heartfelt congratulations that I have received from most, and actually all of you from around the world when I was elected as the 13th President of the Republic.
As a former Minister for Foreign Affairs – and a former civil servant, more or less as a wannabe-diplomat – I know the great value of the work carried out by the diplomatic services in general. I also know the passion that the people in this field have for their work and the service that you do for your countries.
So, I certainly look forward to working together with you in the years to come.
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The post-Cold War era, as I noted in my speech in the Parliament, is now pretty much over. It ended with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. And in many ways we are experiencing our 1918, 1945 and 1989 moment.
After WWI, I think we got it wrong. The League of Nations was a good idea, but not strong enough. After WWII, we got it more or less right, the UN did preserve peace, another World War did not break out. After the Cold War, many of us thought that history had ended. But in reality it had not. And it is our job to get it right this time around.
If you look at the big picture, in my mind WWI was supposed to kill imperialism. WWII killed fascism. The Cold War killed communism. Now Russia is trying to kill liberalism. Ukraine is fighting for all of us who believe in liberal democracy. We must stand, and will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
We live in an era of unrest and disorder. Conflicts are on the rise, as we can see for example in Israel and Gaza today. This is a period when we understand that the world is changing, but we do not know exactly where it is going. It will take time for the new world order to establish itself.
The things that were supposed to bring us together – interdependence, trade, technology, energy, information, and currency – are now too often tearing us apart.
As a result, in my mind, we are now looking at a landscape which is shaped by pretty much three dynamics, which are cooperation, competition and conflicts. As the President, I will do my best to make sure that conflicts are translated into competition, and that this competition provides genuine opportunities for cooperation.
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The United Nations continues to have a fundamental role in ensuring international peace and security even in the new global situation. It should be reformed and strengthened.
Finland is an active member of Western institutions, the European Union and NATO. As the President, I will defend democracy, the freedom of speech, and the rule of law in all situations. This model of governance should be maintained as a genuine option for everyone who wants to take this path. In the European neighbourhood and globally.
Finland seeks cooperation also with countries with whom we do not fully agree. Also here, partnerships should be based on mutual respect and shared interests. Both at the national level and around the global commons.
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The diplomatic corps plays a crucial role in shaping the future of international relations. I wish you the best of success in your demanding and important work.
My wife and I look forward to cooperating with all of you.
