Dear Mr Mayor Daniel Sazonov and Ms Anita Westerholm
Dear Ms Eveliina Heinäluoma and Mr Tuomas Immonen
Distinguished guests and friends,
One of the newer districts in central Tallinn bears the name Talsinki. The choice of name for a quarter that connects the historic Rotermann district with the harbour is no coincidence. It reflects the two closest capital cities, bound together by history, close ties today, and a shared future.
We are connected by thousands of visible and invisible threads. Today, Tallinn and Helsinki have the potential to show Europe that seamless connectivity knows neither national borders nor municipal regulations. Together, we function as a unique and shared circulation system.
As a former scientist, I take particular satisfaction in the fact that cooperation between our universities and researchers is now remarkably extensive and closely linked to our cities.
A prime example is the Smart City Centre of Excellence – a joint project between TalTech and Aalto University – which has received the European Commission’s highest rating of “excellent”. It is our shared flagship, a true success story.
The concept of the smart city embodies our nations’ common aspiration to improve the living environment through innovation, and knowledge-based decision-making – shaping it more convenient, more natural, and closer to nature through the use of technology, while also bringing people together into communities.
Both Finland and Estonia are digital frontrunners and advanced digital societies. Much of our success in recent decades has been built on bold technological solutions – from Nokia mobile phones to Skype, from the first ID cards to X-Road.
New emerging digital technologies can amplify the productivity of our economies and make public administration more efficient – in this endeavour we should join our forces and develop common practices, standards and regulatory frameworks that ensure socially beneficial impact.
We both are having common sense, strong competences and our joint efforts can amplify the benefits of AI in our societies.
Our shared experience shows that technology belongs to people, and that it connects people – just as the Gulf of Finland, our shared anthem, and our closely related languages connect us.
Speaking of language, some of the more visionary among us have even dreamed of a future “virsu” or “eeso” – a shared language akin to the Scandinavian languages used across the Nordic countries.
Dear friends,
The strength of Talsinki, or Hellinn, has so far been built on everyday, broad-based cooperation, and on the courage to experiment, to think boldly, and to have sisu. In Estonian, this word conveys inner substance or essence; for Finns, it is also a defining trait – resilience and determination.
By bringing together Estonian sisu and Finnish sisu, we create exactly the force that moves us forward together and keeps us connected. It strengthens us — and, hopefully, inspires others as well.
Mr Mayor,
Ms Chair of the City Council,
Thank you for the honour and hospitality extended to me, to my spouse Sirje, and to my entire delegation.
These will remain a beautiful memory, enriching our state visit to Finland and reflecting the closeness we Estonians and Finns share, and which we have had the privilege to experience also here today at the Helsinki City Hall.
Aitos! (Aitäh! + Kiitos!) Thank you!
