Ei varmasti olisi toivottanut jääkiekkofanit Riikaan jos olisi tiennyt !!!
HÄVETKÄÄ SUOMALAISET SONNIT !!!
Address by H.E. Dr. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, President of the Republic of Latvia, at the Helsinki City Council 25 April 2006
Madam President,
Mr. Lord Mayor (Jussi Pajunen),
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to be here in Helsinki, and to be received so warmly by the Helsinki City Council. I feel very much at home in this city, which, in many respects is similar to my own native city of Riga. As two capital cities with major ports on the Baltic Sea, Helsinki and Riga share many characteristics.
Besides their similar size and architecture, Helsinki and Riga face many similar challenges and opportunities. By the standards of today's globalised world, Helsinki and Riga are considered to be relatively small cities in relatively small European countries. Nevertheless, both sister cities on the Baltic Sea are captivating tourist destinations with very good transport networks. I believe that there is much we can learn from each other's experience, and that our capital cities have everything to gain from close co-operation.
Tourism offers a great deal of economic potential for both of our capitals. Helsinki has already proven quite successful in attracting visitors and in bolstering the Finnish tourism industry. Riga is still in the process of realising its promising tourism potential, but by working together and sharing our experiences, we can not only stimulate bilateral travel, but also highlight the appeal of our unique Northern region. Riga and Helsinki are now co-operating in the Cruise Baltic Project to attract cruise ships to the Baltic Sea region and I encourage both cities to continue their work in similar, mutually beneficial projects.
Although Helsinki and Riga are separated by a mere 400 kilometres and are only a short, 40-minute plane flight from each other, these two cities have, at various times in their histories, seemed implausibly far apart. Most recently, during the Soviet occupation of Latvia, Helsinki and Riga were cut off from each other by the Iron Curtain. But today, thanks to our thriving commerce as members of the European Union and thanks to increasingly affordable travel, our two great cities are growing closer than ever before. There are excellent flight connections to link us, and EU-funded improvements to the scenic Via Baltica road network between Tallinn and Riga have created a fast and convenient corridor for cars, lorries and buses. I devoutly hope that one day other options will also be available, including a high-speed rail link and direct ferry connections.
I began by mentioning the similarities of our two capital cities. Our similar Art Nouveau architecture and our status as UNESCO World Heritage sites make Riga and Helsinki exceptionally attractive and mutually approachable. We offer the advantages of modern, cosmopolitan European capitals without the overwhelming pressures of vast populations or size. I believe and sincerely hope that Finnish visitors feel themselves at home in Riga, and the same naturally applies to Latvian visitors in Helsinki.
This year, Riga will host two major world events. In just a few days, we look forward to welcoming enthusiastic Finnish hockey fans to the World Ice Hockey Championship, and in November we face the daunting, yet welcome task of hosting the next NATO summit. These and many other events will give Riga the opportunity to show how friendly and efficient it is as a host city.
Riga is currently holding the presidency of the Baltic Metropoles, a regional network in which Riga and Helsinki have co-operated since 2002. BaltMet is working on a number of serious projects to attract investments and to support co-operative ventures between businesses, scientists, and municipal administrations. The Riga and Helsinki city councils are also co-operating in environment and energy issues, including a successful project between the utility companies Helsingin Energia and Rīgas Siltums.
I think it might be worthwhile to examine the possibilities of creating a network of innovation parks in Riga and Helsinki. This could lead to a mutually beneficial co-operation triangle involving our researchers, entrepreneurs and municipalities. I am confident that Riga would be ready and willing to work on such a project and encourage the two city administrations to follow up on this matter.
In closing, I would like to raise a toast to Helsinki's continued growth and prosperity, and to even closer co-operation between Helsinki and Latvia's capital city of Riga. My best wishes to you all.
President's Chancery
HÄVETKÄÄ SUOMALAISET SONNIT !!!
Address by H.E. Dr. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, President of the Republic of Latvia, at the Helsinki City Council 25 April 2006
Madam President,
Mr. Lord Mayor (Jussi Pajunen),
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to be here in Helsinki, and to be received so warmly by the Helsinki City Council. I feel very much at home in this city, which, in many respects is similar to my own native city of Riga. As two capital cities with major ports on the Baltic Sea, Helsinki and Riga share many characteristics.
Besides their similar size and architecture, Helsinki and Riga face many similar challenges and opportunities. By the standards of today's globalised world, Helsinki and Riga are considered to be relatively small cities in relatively small European countries. Nevertheless, both sister cities on the Baltic Sea are captivating tourist destinations with very good transport networks. I believe that there is much we can learn from each other's experience, and that our capital cities have everything to gain from close co-operation.
Tourism offers a great deal of economic potential for both of our capitals. Helsinki has already proven quite successful in attracting visitors and in bolstering the Finnish tourism industry. Riga is still in the process of realising its promising tourism potential, but by working together and sharing our experiences, we can not only stimulate bilateral travel, but also highlight the appeal of our unique Northern region. Riga and Helsinki are now co-operating in the Cruise Baltic Project to attract cruise ships to the Baltic Sea region and I encourage both cities to continue their work in similar, mutually beneficial projects.
Although Helsinki and Riga are separated by a mere 400 kilometres and are only a short, 40-minute plane flight from each other, these two cities have, at various times in their histories, seemed implausibly far apart. Most recently, during the Soviet occupation of Latvia, Helsinki and Riga were cut off from each other by the Iron Curtain. But today, thanks to our thriving commerce as members of the European Union and thanks to increasingly affordable travel, our two great cities are growing closer than ever before. There are excellent flight connections to link us, and EU-funded improvements to the scenic Via Baltica road network between Tallinn and Riga have created a fast and convenient corridor for cars, lorries and buses. I devoutly hope that one day other options will also be available, including a high-speed rail link and direct ferry connections.
I began by mentioning the similarities of our two capital cities. Our similar Art Nouveau architecture and our status as UNESCO World Heritage sites make Riga and Helsinki exceptionally attractive and mutually approachable. We offer the advantages of modern, cosmopolitan European capitals without the overwhelming pressures of vast populations or size. I believe and sincerely hope that Finnish visitors feel themselves at home in Riga, and the same naturally applies to Latvian visitors in Helsinki.
This year, Riga will host two major world events. In just a few days, we look forward to welcoming enthusiastic Finnish hockey fans to the World Ice Hockey Championship, and in November we face the daunting, yet welcome task of hosting the next NATO summit. These and many other events will give Riga the opportunity to show how friendly and efficient it is as a host city.
Riga is currently holding the presidency of the Baltic Metropoles, a regional network in which Riga and Helsinki have co-operated since 2002. BaltMet is working on a number of serious projects to attract investments and to support co-operative ventures between businesses, scientists, and municipal administrations. The Riga and Helsinki city councils are also co-operating in environment and energy issues, including a successful project between the utility companies Helsingin Energia and Rīgas Siltums.
I think it might be worthwhile to examine the possibilities of creating a network of innovation parks in Riga and Helsinki. This could lead to a mutually beneficial co-operation triangle involving our researchers, entrepreneurs and municipalities. I am confident that Riga would be ready and willing to work on such a project and encourage the two city administrations to follow up on this matter.
In closing, I would like to raise a toast to Helsinki's continued growth and prosperity, and to even closer co-operation between Helsinki and Latvia's capital city of Riga. My best wishes to you all.
President's Chancery
Vastaukset
Vanhimmat
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