Political, economic, and cultural highlights of the visit of Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys to Helsinki
From 11 to 12 February, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Kęstutis Budrys, has paid a working visit to Finland. In Helsinki, the Foreign Minister met with Finland's President, Alexander Stubb; the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen; the Minister of Defence, Antti Häkkänen; and the Speaker of the Parliament, Jussi Halla-aho. The meetings focused on bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Finland, regional Nordic-Baltic cooperation, security and defence, protection of critical infrastructure and support for Ukraine. Kęstutis Budrys also attended the Finland-Lithuania Business Association's Forum on Digitalisation, AI and Risk Management in International Trade and delivered an opening speech. On the occasion of the commemoration of the Day of the Restoration of the State of Lithuania and the 150th birthday of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, Lithuania's Diplomacy Star has been conferred on the Finnish-Lithuanian Donelaitis' Friends of Lithuania Society.
On February 11, K. Budrys met with Finnish President Alexander Stubb. During the meeting, the necessity for Europe to secure a place at the negotiating table for peace in Ukraine was discussed, to ensure that the future of Europe, particularly the Baltic region, is not decided behind our backs. The Minister emphasized that Europe must take decisive action to strengthen its security without delay.
In a meeting with Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, both ministers discussed bilateral and regional co-operation between the Nordic and Baltic countries, the fight against hybrid and threats posed by Russia's shadow fleet, and issues of support for Ukraine.
In a meeting with Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen, Kęstutis Budrys stated that Finland is an example of total defense, mobilization, and crisis preparedness, and Lithuania is interested in adopting Finnish experience in these areas. The Minister also emphasized the importance of bilateral co-operation between Lithuania and Finland while strengthening regional security. "On security and defense matters, Lithuania and Finland are like-minded countries, so by working together, we can more effectively achieve regional goals. We must protect the Baltic Sea, as well as NATO's external borders," said the Minister.
In the afternoon, the Minister greeted participants of the Lithuania-Finland business forum "Digitalization, Artificial Intelligence, and Risk Management in International Trade." "Finland is one of the priority markets for Lithuania in terms of export and cooperation in the field of innovation. We want to expand co-operation in the areas of financial technologies, life sciences, defense industry, cybersecurity, and renewable energy," said Kęstutis Budrys. The forum was organized by the Finland-Lithuania Business Association (SULI), the public sector agency Business Finland, the Finnish Chamber of Commerce (Finncham), and the Embassy of Lithuania in Finland.
In the evening, the Minister attended a festive concert at the Helsinki Musiikkitalo, which brought together representatives from Finnish institutions, business, academia, and culture, as well as members of the diplomatic corps and the Lithuanian community in Finland. The concert was dedicated to the 105th anniversary of the Restoration of the Lithuanian state and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis.
The Minister welcomed the large number of guests, stating that by commemorating these occasions, we remember that freedom is both a gift and a responsibility. "Now, when our brothers and sisters in Ukraine are facing a brutal and unprovoked war directed against their sovereignty and independence, the lessons of our history are very important. Their brave resistance to Russian aggression reminds us of the same values we fought for—freedom, dignity, and the right to decide our own destiny," said K. Budrys. After the greeting, K. Budrys awarded the Lithuanian diplomacy star to the Donelaitis Society of Friends of Lithuania for long-term cooperation between Lithuania and Finland, which will celebrate its 35th anniversary this year.
During the concert, the Čiurlionis Quartet performed M. K. Čiurlionis's String Quartet in C minor, maestro Petras Geniušas improvised on M. K. Čiurlionis's themes. Later, the Quartet and maestro together performed Mindaugas Urbaitis' "Tranquility," which flowed into the concert's surprise, namely a greeting from Finland to Lithuania. Students from the Helsinki Pop and Jazz Conservatory performed an arrangement of M.K. Čiurlionis's compositions "In the Forest" and "The Sea" for heavy rock. Video jockey Domas Verikas illustrated the performed pieces on screen with projections from the VR film "Trail of Angels." The concert was organized by the Embassy of Lithuania in Finland together with partners, the Lithuanian Cultural Institute, the Lithuanian National Philharmonic, the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture, the "Along the Paths of Angels" team, Ignitis Suomi Oy, and Savcor Oy.
On February 12, K. Budrys met with the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, Jussi Halla-aho, to discuss border and critical infrastructure protection and regional cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic countries.
The Minister concluded his visit with a meeting with the Finnish microsatellite manufacturer and operator, Iceye.
