Financial crisis - top Nordic politicians meet in Helsinki

The financial crisis and Iceland’s situation will play a central role when top Nordic politicians gather in the Finnish capital from Monday 27 - Wednesday 29 October.

All the Nordic prime ministers and leaders of the opposition will take part in a summit in the Finnish Parliament on Tuesday from 14.00-17.00. Globalisation, the financial crisis and the Nordic welfare model will be over-arching themes for the meeting.

The Nordic prime ministers and leaders of the autonomous territories will hold a press conference on Tuesday morning at 10.00.

The financial crisis will also be an important topic for the ministers of finance who will meet on Tuesday during the Session. They will also discuss other questions such as tax evasion. The meeting will close with a press conference at 12.30.

The Nordic Council President, Erkki Tuomioja, will open a plenary debate on the Northern Dimension in the Finnish Parliament already on Sunday 26 October. Guests from Russia and the Baltic countries as well as Nordic MPs will take part.

The Nordic Council and Council of Ministers' Communications Department offers the media a comprehensive service before, during and after the Session. Information about the Session, the political themes, news stories, photos, speeches and press releases will all be published on the Session’s website: www.norden.org All journalists must be accredited in advance.

The Session in Helsinki is the 60th in the series. A Session of the Nordic Council is held once a year, and is one of the main events in the official calendar for Nordic co-operation. This year, the Session will take place in Helsinki. Approximately 100 parliamentarians from the five Nordic countries and the three autonomous territories, Greenland, Åland and the Faroe Islands, will meet to discuss important issues relating to Nordic co-operation with ministers from the Region.