Harri HolkeriPrime Minister, Mrs. Holkeri, your excellencies, my lords, ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to no.10
First, can I extend to you a very warm welcome to no. 10 Downing street on this your first official visit to Britain as Finland's Prime Minister. We are very pleased that you have come. We already know you as a good friend of this country: and as a fellow Conservative, which makes us all the happier.
We are also very pleased that you have brought Mrs. Holkeri and the other members of your delegation and we hope all of you will enjoy your visit to the United Kingdom. [end p1]
Finland's heroism
The very name Finland evokes enormous admiration in this country. Those of my generation will never forget Winston Churchill 's words in 1940 when he paid tribute to your country: “Finland alone—in danger and death, superb example of what free men can do” . That was an heroic period in your history, a defence against overwhelming odds which touched the hearts and imagination of everyone of our people. [end p2]
Gorbachev 's visit: neutrality: Finlandisation
And it is because of your heroism then, and the very skilful course you have steered over the intervening fifty years, that we join you in welcoming the visit which President Gorbachev paid to Finland only last week in the course of which he gave unqualified acknowledgement to Finland's neutrality and independence. Some would say it was not before time. But President Gorbachev has shown in other areas, too, that he is willing to put right some of the omissions of the past.
And if I can add one further thought: let us hope that his statement will put paid once and for all to the use anywhere in the world of the term “Finlandisation” . It was never apposite. Now it has no shred of justification at all. [end p3]
Bishop Henry and all that
Now, another reason why I always enjoy welcoming distinguished visitors from Finland is that it gives me an opportunity to recount some of the more colourful episodes from the history of Britain and Finland.
Two thousand years ago, Tacitus described the Finns as “extremely wild” . Well, that was certainly accurate because one thousand years later you beheaded the first British visitor to your country, Bishop Henry. We all have views on Bishops—though not of course the most excellent Bishop of Ely who is with us today—but that was definitely carrying things a bit far, even though you made up for it later by choosing him as your Patron Saint. [end p4] Fortunately, we British are slow to anger and it took us the best part of another thousand years to decide how to retaliate. We did it with enormous subtlety in the year 1905, when Her Majesty's customs at Dover apprehended and fined one of Finland's most distinguished sons, the composer Sibelius, the magnificent sum of two shillings and six pence for smuggling cigars. It may take us a long time, but we do eventually get even.
But just to be sure we know where we stand with Finland, I have taken the precaution of having a Finnish speaking Private Secretary in my office. So you can be sure that Finland always receives the full attention which it deserves in this building! [end p5]
Trade and investment
Now-a-days our links are very extensive. There is a great deal of trade, although the balance is very much in Finland's favour and we want to do something about that. There is investment, and you will be concluding your stay here with a visit to a major Finnish investment in Scotland. [end p6]
EC and EFTA
We want that trade and investment to increase, and one way to ensure that it does is to make a success of the negotiations between the European community and EFTA which will start in 1990. As you know, Britain is absolutely determined that completion of the Single Market in Europe should not mean erecting new barriers against the outside world, least of all against EFTA, and we shall try to ensure that determination is fully reflected in the European Community's position in those negotiations. [end p7]
Human rights
Beyond that, the name of your capital city, Helsinki, has become synonymous with efforts to secure basic human rights and freedoms for all the people of Europe, since you hosted the conference on security and co-operation in Europe. We are now seeing the persistence with which we have all pressed for those rights for the people of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe rewarded. Finland deserves much credit for that. [end p8]
UN: peacekeeping and Ahtisaari
You have also played a very full part in world affairs, particularly through Finland's outstanding contribution to the United Nations peacekeeping forces and by the enormous contribution made in Namibia by Mr. Ahtisaari, the personal representative of the United Nations Javier Perez De CuellarSecretary General.
I visited namibia on the very first day on which the UN plan came into force and saw Mr. Ahtisaari. He was and is doing a remarkable job. We all hope the result will be free and fair elections very shortly, leading on to full independence for Namibia. [end p9]
That is a record of international service of which any country can be proud and we thank you and congratulate you for it.
Conclusion and toast
So, Prime Minister, I hope the message that you will take home is that Finland has a special place in British hearts. We respect your courage, that special Finnish quality of sisu [meaning guts].
We admire your fierce determination to maintain your independence. [end p10]
We admire your commitment to democracy and human rights.
In that spirit, Prime Minister, I will ask all our guests to rise and drink a toast to the Prime Minister of Finland and the future prosperity and success of your country.