2020 is not a sufficient goal. Sustainable development and green economic growth require substantial and long-term investments, remarked Danish Ambassador in Estonia Uffe A. Balslev at the Nordic Countries Day in Tallinn. Ambassador Balslev spoke to event visitors about the Danish presidency of the European Union in the first half of this year.
Balslev stressed that Estonia is a very important partner for Denmark and other Nordic countries that are members of the European Union due to shared principles and values. According to the Danish Ambassador, Estonia's strict fiscal policy is an example to other countries. Another common factor for Estonia and the Nordic countries is support for free trade.
Other priorities for Denmark's EU presidency besides sustainable and innovative economic development are the European debt crisis, the new long-term fiscal agreement, development of the common market, legal and internal issues and the common foreign policy.
Norwegian Ambassador in Estonia Lise Kleven Grevstad presented the plans that Norway has for the presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers this year to about a hundred visitors interested in Nordic cooperation. The Nordic welfare state model has been an example taken up by many countries but even the Nordic countries are now seeking solutions to meet the challenges of the changing economic, social and natural environment. That is why Norway has been scrutinising the sustainable welfare society concept, green economic growth and common values.
Norway hopes to have a discussion on all these matters with Estonian specialists at the seminar scheduled for late March.
In the second half of the Nordic Countries Day members of staff of the Nordic Council of Ministers introduced the Nordic and Baltic programmes of support for the spheres of culture, non-profit activities, public administration, business and industry.
