German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier emphasized his country’s close ties with the Nordic countries in remarks to gathered leaders in Berlin on Monday.
Germany and the Nordic countries are similar in many ways, Steinmeier said at a reception at Bellevue Palace, his official residence, to mark the 25th anniversary of the shared Nordic embassy complex in Berlin.
“We share not only common interests, in the economic and geopolitical spheres, but, above all, we share the same values, often also the same temperament – and some would even say also the same sense of humour,” Steinmeier said, according to a speech text provided to dpa in advance.
Germans are enchanted by the nature in the north and are fascinated by the culture of the countries, he said.
Central Europeans have long been drawn to visit “the islands off Norway’s coast, to the rugged volcanic landscapes and hot springs of Iceland, to the eternal forests of Finland, to the skerries off Stockholm, to the beaches of Denmark,” he said.
“And I must say that, as an enthusiastic hiker, I can identify with the Norwegian proverb ‘ut på tur, aldri sur,’ or ‘out and about, never in a sulk,'” he said.
Steinmeier was hosting a dinner on Monday evening for a number of visiting leaders and dignitaries from the Nordic countries, including King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden and Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway.
The guest list also included the presidents of Finland and Iceland, Alexander Stubb and Halla Tómasdóttir, with their partners.
“We sometimes wish we were a bit more like you also in business, politics and society. Your countries are ahead of us in many areas, such as with respect to the equality of women and men,” said Steinmeier.
It is also worth looking to the north when it comes to innovation – he said it is no coincidence that large tech firms such as Skype and Spotify were founded in the north of Europe.
The Nordic countries are pioneers when it comes to digitalization, cutting red tape and switching to renewable energies, he said.
Steinmeier emphasized that the move by Finland and Sweden to join NATO “has made us Europeans come still closer together, even if the reasons for this are painful.”
Steinmeier said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has thrown the continent back into a time of confrontation and raised divisions in the Baltic Sea, which connects Germany and three of the Nordic countries.
“And we, as allies on the Baltic coast, must step up our own security efforts to counter the threat posed by Russia,” he said.
