Thank you very much, dear Ulf and dear Petteri, for having me here today. Indeed, it was an excellent meeting. Let me focus on one of the most important issues. We discussed a wide range of issues, but I will just focus on a few.
In one month from now, it will be two years since Russia launched its terrible war of aggression against Ukraine. We have stood by Ukraine since day one, and we will continue to do so. Support for Ukraine is crucial – not only military support, this is also very important, but also economic support. We indeed discussed the upcoming special European Council where we aim to find an agreement for the EUR 50 billion for Ukraine for the next four years. Because this would provide Ukraine with predictable, economic and budgetary assistance and underline our strong support for Ukraine. Russia's invasion has also been a wake-up call for Europe. We have to rethink our own defence, and we must ramp up our industrial base. This will not only give us more access to the necessary military systems, but it will of course also very much improve the interoperability of the armed forces of the different Member States in the European Union. Finland and Sweden are both experienced and very reliable partners in defence. Sweden, for example, is a world leader in the defence industry. Finland is, as we have just heard, also a pioneer in the concept of civil defence. We exchanged views on what we can learn from this at the European level. So thank you very much for that. In March, the Commission will present a Defence Industrial Strategy.
We also discussed European competitiveness. It is one of the big topics on our agenda. Of course, in 2024, we must and we will continue to strengthen our economy to adapt to the continuous changes that we see. The challenges are well known: the impact of climate change, the game-changing technological developments like artificial intelligence, the need for new skills – just to name a few.
Of course, we have to build on our strengths. One of our core strengths is our Single Market and the power of European innovation. And this morning, I could see it firsthand at Stora Enso. This center is really exemplary for the potential of the bioeconomy. That is in other words to replace fossil-based materials by bio-based ones. This is key now in many sectors, from the batteries to the electric vehicles, from gun powder to packaging – a wide range of possibilities. And these were only a few that I was mentioning. This innovation will drastically reduce our carbon footprint. And on top, and that is very important, it will reduce our dependency on critical raw materials on countries outside the European Union. So in a nutshell, biotech is shaping Europe's future. And it was very impressive for me to see and to listen to the facts and figure, again, proving the strength of the forest industry in Finland and in Sweden. It is very important for Finland and Sweden, but also for the European Union, and basically for all of us – because it is about the health of the planet.
Innovation is key to our competitiveness, but of course a lot more needs to be done. I just want to mention the need to finalise a deep and liquid European Capital Market to make sure that innovators have access to capital. Or take for example the strengthening of our supply chains to diversify and conclude trade agreements so that we reduce our dependencies. And of course, as I said, we need to continue improving the skills of our workforce.
A final topic I want to mention is migration. It was a huge step forward that we were able to agree on the Pact on Migration and Asylum. This Pact sets the rules to manage migration in the European Union, based on solidarity and fair sharing of responsibilities. And the Pact gives us the means to better secure the control of our external borders. Most recently, Finland suffered from instrumentalisation of migrants orchestrated by Russia. This is yet another form of hybrid warfare. This requires a clear and determined response. Finland has acted decisively. And you can rely on the European Union to support your efforts. At the same time, we are working with countries of origin and transit to tackle illegal migration. And here, we want to be very clear: We have always fulfilled our international obligations. We have done that in the past, we do that today and we will do it in the future. But it is us, in Europe, who decide who comes to the European Union and under what circumstances, and not the smugglers and traffickers, or even autocrats.
Dear Ulf, dear Petteri, thank you very much for the excellent meeting and there is lots of good work ahead of us.
