merrion street

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, T.D., launched the Government’s Strategy for the Nordic Region to 2025 in a virtual event hosted from Iveagh House on Wednesday 2nd June.

The Nordic Strategy is a further stage of the Government’s 2018 Global Ireland initiative and is designed to provide a strong framework to deepen Ireland’s bilateral and multilateral engagement with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. 

Joined by representatives from all five Nordic states, the Minister noted the already strong trading relationship and the potential to grow this over the next five years as our economies recover from the pandemic and address ambitious climate action goals.

Minister Coveney characterised Ireland and the Nordics as natural partners whose technological and scientific expertise is capable of creating a sustainable green future.

The economic pillar of the Nordic strategy will support the growth of two-way trade between Ireland and the region beyond the current €15bn annually and the Government will ensure a well-resourced Team Ireland presence in the Nordic states to promote greater investment flows in both directions.

The Minister also referred to the long-standing values that we share internationally at the UN and in other international bodies in seeking to promote peace, development and democracy.  He noted how Ireland and Norway are working very closely as members of the United Nations Security Council.

The Minister concluded that “We have a strong sense of the possibilities that a post-Covid ‘re-set’ offers and I am confident that this will drive deeper cooperation.” 

He called on business, the educational and cultural sectors and civil society to join the Government in harnessing the potential of this new relationship with our close neighbours and friends.

The strategy is available at https://ireland.ie/NordicStrategy/ .

ENDS Press Office 2 June 2021