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Prime Minister Petteri Orpo represents Finland at the European Council’s special meeting in Brussels on 17–18 April. At the meeting, the tense international situation is discussed. On the agenda for the EU’s heads of state and government are the events in the Middle East and Ukraine, the EU’s relations with Turkey and the Union’s long-term competitiveness.
According to Prime Minister Orpo, the international situation has become even more tense after recent events in the Middle East. Orpo emphasizes that the EU and the rest of the international community must do their utmost to prevent the conflict between Iran and Israel from expanding. “However, we must not forget that Ukraine needs our continuous support. The war in Gaza continues and the humanitarian situation remains difficult,” says Prime Minister Orpo.
At the meeting, the EU’s heads of state and government also discuss the Union’s competitiveness. The discussion is based on an investigation presented by former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta.
Prime Minister Orpo believes that a disruption-free internal market is important for the entire EU. The Union must prevent distortion of competition. “When it comes to competitiveness, the focus is on further developing the internal market. A functioning internal market based on free movement and an effective state support and competition policy promotes predictability and a favorable investment environment,” says Prime Minister Orpo.
In Brussels, Prime Minister Orpo also attends a reception organized by King Philippe of Belgium. Finland is also hosting a meeting (NBIP8) between the Prime Ministers of Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Prime Ministers of Sweden and Denmark.
Mer information: Jori Arvonen, Undersecretary of State for EU Affairs, tel. +358295 16001, Tuomas Tikkanen, Special Associate (EU Affairs), tel. 040 523 5768, and Marko Ruonala, Project Manager (Communication), tel. 050522 8233, Prime Minister’s Office
The documents regarding summits approved by the EU Committee of Ministers are published on the Prime Minister’s Office website (in Finnish).
