Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at the state dinner in honour of President of Ireland Mary McAleese in Helsinki on 22 May 2001

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It gives me particular pleasure to welcome you, Madam President and Dr. McAleese, together with Minister of Culture Sile de Valera and your delegation on the first official state visit of the President of Ireland to Finland.

Our two countries have had many parallels in their long and difficult way towards the independence and well-being that we enjoy today. Our present situations also resemble each other in many ways. We cherish our independence and identity, our own languages and our own culture. We both set a special value on military non-alliance in our foreign policies.

Our two countries have worked together in the UN, where we have been engaged in peacekeeping activities for some forty years, practically ever since we both joined the UN in 1955. We have also worked together in the EU and I appreciate Ireland's support and advice in our accession process. I am happy to note that Finland, for her part, has been able to assist in the efforts to strengthen peace in Northern Ireland.

Against this background, it is natural that we approach questions on international relations and especially the development of Europe with similar hopes and concerns. We are both very dependent on exports and keen supporters of free trade. We are both very much in favour of the enlargement of the European Union and emphasize the increased political stability and well-being that this would bring to the European continent.

Discussions about the future of the European Union are going on at the present moment. These discussions will lead to the Intergovernmental Conference of 2004. The Irish Presidency of the EU during the first part of that year will have a great bearing on the successful outcome of the Conference.

While we nowadays admire Ireland´s strong economic performance and skillful foreign policy, we by no means forget Ireland´s culture. Ireland's contribution in the world is first and foremost due to her culture, which has been spread to foreign countries by Irish missionaries and later on by Irish writers, musicians and emigrants. The fact that tens of millions of people around the world say that they are of Irish origin tells a lot about the strength of Irish culture.

Ireland has been known a long time as a land of culture, literature, poetry and music in Finland as well. James Joyce´s Ulysses was translated into Finnish by Pentti Saarikoski, himself a poet and one of our outstanding literary figures of the latter 20th century. Irish music festivals are an annual success in several cities and towns in Finland; Irish pop music and riverdance have a wide appeal among the public at large. I would also like to mention my latest favourite Irish author Frank McCourt to whom my attention was drawn by the previous Irish ambassador to Finland, Dáithí O'Ceallaigh. McCourt's novel "Angela's Ashes" made a deep impression on me.

Gaelic has been taught at the University of Helsinki for some 20 years. In Finland it is commonly known that both our countries have a very old language which greatly differs from the widely spoken languages of today. It is a less well-known fact, perhaps, that our countries have two official languages, which are both taught at school. We know from our own experience the value of a national language without which a truly national culture could not have developed.

In Finland interest in Ireland has grown in recent years thanks to better means of international communication. During recent years the number of Finnish visitors to Ireland has increased to over 20,000 annually. New flight connections are regularly fully booked. The number of Irish visitors to Finland has also grown and exceed 12,000 annually. The active Irish-Finnish and Finnish-Irish societies and business clubs in both countries make a valuable contribution to our cultural and economic relations.

Our bilateral relations are developing favourably; political dialogue, cultural exchange, trade, investments, tourism and others. New technologies create ever increasing opportunities for exchange and contacts between peoples of two countries such as Ireland and Finland, which are at the leading edge of the development of the information society.

We are very happy to have you, President McAleese and Dr. McAleese, together with your delegation in Finland and while we hope that you will have an enjoyable visit we also wish to show what we have to offer for our relationship.

Let us raise our glasses in a toast to the success of Ireland and her people in developing the well-being and culture of your country. To the future of good, neighbourly relations between Finland and Ireland as well as to the good fortune and health of yourself, Dr. McAleese, and your people!