Mats Brandt, Regional Mayor at the Regional Council of Ostrobothnia and representative of the Kvarken Council, participated in Europaforum Norra Sverige in Sundsvall, Sweden, and took the opportunity to emphasize both Finland’s long tradition of security of supply and the forward-looking Nordic Connector project.
The forum’s theme, “Northern EU in a New Geopolitical Perspective”, provided Brandt with a perfect stage to discuss how regions can play a larger role in Europe’s geopolitical development. Brandt reminded that Finland’s security of supply has deep historical roots dating back to the First World War.
– Iron, gunpowder, and grain – that’s where it starts. We are very proud of our capacity to maintain continuity during crises, which has been proven several times throughout history, not least during the oil crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, he explained.
However, the central part of Brandt’s presentation was dedicated to the Nordic Connector project, which he describes as a lifeline for the security and development of the region and the entire Northern Nordics.
Brandt emphasized that the project offers a new dimension of cooperation and integration across regional borders. It can act as a catalyst for further collaboration and development and has the potential to radically reshape future landscapes in both the Northern Nordics and Europe.
– Through Nordic Connector, we are not only creating new trade routes and communication lines but also stronger ties between communities across regional borders, which enhances our collective resilience up here in the North, he explained.
– This vision of connectivity has occasionally been forgotten but is today more relevant than ever. We are facing not just an opportunity to physically connect two coasts but also to ideologically and economically integrate the northern parts of Europe, Brandt concluded.
In his speech at Europaforum, Brandt emphasized the importance of continuing to promote development initiatives like these at regional, national, and European levels to ensure success and to strengthen security and development in northern Europe.
Watch and listen to Mats’s speech here (in Swedish): https://youtu.be/DR4BFEE5lBQ
Europaforum Norra Sverige is an important meeting place. In the picture: Daniel Gustafsson, County Commissioner of Västernorrland, Carin Jämtin, the Governor of Västernorrland County, Mats Brandt, and Veronica Berg, Kvarken Council’s Development Manager.