Mr. Aleksi Härkönen, Finnish ambassador to Estonia at the opening of the conference in Tartu that took place during the green growth festival Rohevik. Photo: norden.eeThis year, discussions within the Nordic Council of Ministers have been led by Finland; in 2012 Norway will take up the presidency. Finnish ambassador to Estonia Aleksi Härkönen says that one of the key points of debate throughout 2011 has been climate change and its effects.

What have been the key themes and greatest achievements for Finland during its presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2011?

Drawing attention to climate change, definitely. It was to do with this that saw Nordic Design Month, Nordic Look held in Tallinn, with its pop-up exhibition sale, where selected designers showed how to make beautiful, ethical and sustainable fashion using recycled materials and the like. The Nordic Look events and seminars were really popular. The Rohevik environmental, green growth festival received a lot of positive feedback, too, and one of the people who came to Estonia as part of it was Finland's environment minister Ville Niinistö, who opened the 'Smart energy and green transport' seminar in the Riigikogu.

The 15^th Black Nights Film Festival paid great attention to Nordic films. Two special programmes – Nordic Light and Icelandic Cinema in Focus – were dedicated to the Nordic countries. However, Berth Sundström, the Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia, feels that Nordic films deserve even more time in the spotlight.

"Watching a film is always a very personal experience. When I watch Nordic films – Danish, Swedish or Norwegian – it is somehow special," said Sundström on the Pöffihunt programme on Estonian Television on November 27. "And films from Iceland are even more special." At the same time Sundström admitted that Nordic films cannot be found easily.

"I believe that there is a need for Nordic films in Estonia. It seems to me that since Estonia is so closely connected to the Nordic countries, it is natural that there should be an easily available channel for Nordic films here," explained the Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia.

The popularity and high quality of the Nordic films were valued highly by the audience of the festival as well as the juries. The audience's favourite was the comedy "Superclasico" by Danish director Ole Christian Madsen. The Best Actor Award went to Norwegian actor Sven Nordin for his role in "The Sons of Norway" (Sønner av Norge). The Life's Work Award was conferred upon Icelandic director Fridrik Thor Fridriksson.

Photo: Karin Beate Nøsterud/norden.orgWe are used to experiencing political violence from a distance as an expression of social interaction far-removed from Nordic traditions. However, in recent years, political extremism is increasingly reflected also in the Nordic countries - most recently and worst in the tragedy in Norway in the summer of 2011. This issue of Analys Norden discusses this development and the consequences it can have for the open Nordic societies.

Articles:

- Is it naive to be open? (Norway)
- Something has changed in Finland (Finland)
- Swedish police uncertain (Sweden)
- Time of political dissolution (Iceland)
- New threats (Denmark)

Jens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway. Photo: Johannes Jansson/norden.org"The Nordic countries and Nordic cooperation are at a crossroads. The global economic crisis has left its mark on the Nordic sphere and it is not certain what the future will bring here or in the world generally. The welfare state is under pressure. The Nordic countries will have to face the challenge and cooperate more," stressed Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg yesterday when introducing to Nordic MPs the kingdom's plans for 2012, when Norway will hold the presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Norway emphasises three areas: work and sustainable welfare; green economic growth; knowledge, innovation and Nordic identity.

For further information on Norway's plans for the coming year, see the presidency brochure.

This year the activities of the Nordic Council of Ministers are being guided by Finland. The central themes of Finland's presidency included economic growth, environmental protection and climate.

Põhja- ja Baltimaade peaministrite kohtumine Kopenhaagenis 31. oktoober 2011. Foto: Magnus Fröderberg/norden.org Today, 1 November 2011, marks the start of the session of the Nordic Council or Nordic Summit in the Danish capital Copenhagen. The main theme of this year's summit is open society in northern Europe. Issues related to the theme, which was selected in light of the elections that have been held in the region over the last year and the tragic events that unfolded in Norway in summer, will be discussed by the prime ministers of all five Nordic countries as well as representatives of the other states forming part of the Nordic Council.

During a meeting yesterday ahead of the summit, the prime ministers of the Nordic countries and Baltic States (the NB8) confirmed that while cooperation in the region remains strong, there is an ever-increasing need to work more closely together. The topic of interest most widely discussed by the government leaders was Europe's financial crisis. Finnish prime minister Jyrki Katainen said that both the Nordic countries and Baltic States had coped well with the crisis. "We are a region of good performers when it comes to economic matters, and we are all in the same boat, no matter which currency we use. But we must also all work hard to maintain this position - especially if we are to continue to attract investment to the region", he said.

Copenhagen. Photo: Johannes Jansson/norden.org Yesterday evening, President of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves flew to Denmark for a working visit, where he will meet with the Danish Prime Minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Halldór Ásgrímsson, and former long-term Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen.

The Estonian Head of State is one of the principal guests at an international Cyber Defence and Security Conference in Copenhagen, where he will speak about Estonian internal and international activities in the sphere of organising cyber defence within the last four years.

On Wednesday night, President Ilves will continue to Finland to participate in the Book and Music Fair of Helsinki, where this time the focus will be on Estonia. A book by the Estonian Head of State, Omalla äänellä, which is a collection of his essays and presentations given in recent years, and which begins with a long interview with President Ilves, is also presented at the fair.

Photo: Eivind Sætre/norden.org Green growth is an important enabler of growth and prosperity in the Nordic countries. The Nordic Business, Energy and Regional Ministers emphasise, therefore, that they are willing to assume responsibility for much of the future investments in green growth on which the Prime Ministers are expected make decisions in connection with the forthcoming Globalisation Forum and subsequent Prime Ministers' meeting.

A Nordic Innovation Fund could become a reality. The ministers will continue discussions on the establishment of the Nordic Innovation Fund, together with the European Investment Fund (EIF), which will contribute one third of the funding. The proposal is a major investment of 250 million Euros, which will include an investment of 50 million Euros in so-called business angels.

Berth Sundström. Photo: Aron Urb/norden.ee'At the moment, with the EU facing a number of challenges and the euro under extreme pressure, but also with global competition becoming ever fiercer, we desperately need more – not less –cooperation and trust between countries,' stressed Berth Sundström, Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia in his speech at the reception marking the 20^th anniversary of the office.

Read the entire speech here.

Green Growth Festival 'Rohevik'"During recent years a lot has been invested in property and fossil fuels instead of renewable energy, public transportation, water conservation or sustainable agriculture," stated Ville Niinistö, Finnish Minister of the Environment in his opening speech at a green growth conference in Tallinn, Estonia. The conference, 'Smart Growth. Green Transport' takes this approach emphasising the potential in environmentally friendly innovations in the Baltic Sea Region.

The high-level international conference 'Smart Growth. Green Transport' stressed the need to find new ways of generating energy, increasing the amount of energy produced from renewable sources and arranging transport in a new manner that is energy efficient and clean.

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet. Photo: Estonian Ministry of Foreign AffairsSpeaking today, 16 September 2011, on the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Estonian office of the Nordic Council of Minister (NCM), Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that the council's presence in the country had brought Estonia closer to the Nordic countries, boosting cooperation and interpersonal connections with the region.

Paet said that whereas in the early years the council represented more of a helping hand to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, today the relationship it and the Nordic countries generally share with the Baltic States is one of a mutually beneficial partnership. "Estonian university students have gotten to study in the Nordic countries, our governments have found reliable partners, people in the field of culture have been inspired by new ideas and our entrepreneurs have made valuable business contacts, all on the initiative and with the support of the NCM," he said, adding that Estonia today has a lot to offer the Nordic countries itself. "We've come up with quite a few good ideas of our own, like the e-health project, which a number of countries in the region have shown a keen interest in."