Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at a dinner for the diplomatic corps on 24 April 2003

It is a great pleasure for my husband and myself to welcome the accredited heads of diplomatic missions to Finland and their spouses to this traditional dinner. I would also like to welcome the representatives of the Republic of Finland's new Government to the Presidential Palace this evening.

At the same time I would like to express my grief over the absence of Secretary of State Antti Satuli, who was respected and liked. He was a warm friend to many of us, but he was also an excellent diplomat who took care of EU affairs and other tasks with a gentle persistence. We will all miss him deeply.

The past year has been full of events. Parliamentary elections were held in Finland a little over a month ago, as you have diligently reported to your governments. This was the first time a Government has been formed under our new Constitution, which has been in force for three years. We were all relieved when everything went well in this respect.

I have already thanked Prime Minister Jäätteenmäki and others who had a hand in forming the Government for their exceptional swiftness. History was made with regard to gender equality. Finland has its first woman Prime Minister and for the first time there are equal numbers of men and women in the Government and in as each Government group. Politically the composition is also new, with the Centre Party and the Social Democrats in the same Government for the first time since 1987. What is traditional is that we have a coalition Government which is supported by a majority of Parliament. Many have also said with a twinkle of humour in their eye that the presence of the Swedish People's Party in the Government is an old tradition. After all, they have taken part in different Government compositions practically throughout our independence.

The challenges facing the new Government and Parliament have remained quite similar. Finland is a small country in terms of population, and except for our forests we do not have a lot of natural resources. We still have to do our best in this world of tough competition, however. Investing in our population through education and social security - together with democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law - creates a strong foundation for our society which we hope will encourage work and enterprise.

Fortunately we are not alone. The EU signifies tough competition on the single market but also jointly agreed rules. Last week in Athens the European Union's fifteen present members and ten future members signed a treaty to enlarge the EU and finally relegated the artificial dividing line of the Cold War to history.

Work still goes on, since membership of the EU is a demanding thing. From the very first day membership applies to the entire nation and all its citizens. Without the support of the people, membership of the EU cannot succeed. Finland will continue to support the development of the new member states so that they can participate fully in the Union's activities as soon as possible.

It is important now to continue negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania as well as cooperation with those countries whose membership perspective will improve over the slightly longer term.

In addition to the enlargement process, the Convention discussing the development of the EU has proceeded. The Convention will conclude its work by the end of June and an Intergovernmental Conference will begin this autumn. In Finland's view the Convention and the Intergovernmental Conference have two basic themes: equality among the member states and strengthening the Union.

The Union must become stronger as well as larger so that it can promote our citizens' security and well-being and serve as the protector of European interests in the international economy and international relations. But the EU must not confine itself to its own interests. We must also work together for a better world. A larger and stronger European Union will be an even more significant actor supporting the multilateral international system.

The international situation is difficult, both politically and economically. We must not become discouraged but should be brave. The war in Iraq has practically ended, but building a society according to Iraqis' own will is just getting started. This is a challenging task. Its success requires the participation of the entire international community. For this reason it is important for the United Nations to have a key role in this work.

During the past year my own international programme has been intense. This is partly because I have co-chaired the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization. This has been very rewarding and broadening - but also demanding.

Most of my work is naturally more traditional. The number of state and other visits to Finland has increased considerably. Many countries have now arranged high-level visits to Finland for the first time. I am quite pleased with this and would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of visits and ensure good cooperation with those for whom this still lies in the future.

On behalf of my husband and for my own part I would like to thank the accredited diplomatic corps in Helsinki for your excellent cooperation and propose a toast in your honour.