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Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will host four European Union leaders at a summit on 21-22 December to discuss important issues of continental security and migration policy. The Finnish government announced this on Thursday, AFP reports.
The summit, which will take place in Saariselka, Lapland, will be attended by senior EU officials: Head of European Diplomacy Kadri Kaljas, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The main topics of the talks will concern “Europe’s key challenges in the face of geopolitical tensions,” according to the Finnish government. The agenda includes issues of European defence and security, migration, the use of migration flows as an instrument of political pressure, and border protection.
“The summit will be an excellent opportunity to discuss these issues in full confidentiality and to find new ideas for initiatives that can be implemented,” the government said in a statement.
Finland accuses Russia of trying to destabilise the situation on its borders by causing an influx of migrants. In September 2023, about 1,000 migrants without visas appeared at Finnish checkpoints, forcing Helsinki to close its border with Russia.
“Europe must take more responsibility for its security. This means that European countries must be strong leaders, both within the EU and within NATO. The biggest threat to us is Russia, which is trying to strengthen its power and sow discord in Europe,” Prime Minister Orpo said in a press commentary.
The summit will take place against the backdrop of broad discussions on European defence. At the end of November, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to stress the need for Europe to develop in terms of security and defence. The same issues were at the forefront of the European Political Community summit in Budapest in November, organised against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s election as US president, which raised concerns in Europe about strengthening transatlantic ties.