Nordic-Baltic Cooperation
Historisk arkiv
Publisert under: Regjeringen Stoltenberg II
Utgiver: Utenriksdepartementet
Text for booklet on Nordic-Baltic cooperation 1991-2031 ("More is better")
Tale/innlegg | Dato: 22.10.2012
Social welfare in the Nordic and Baltic countries is being challenged on many fronts, skriver utenriksminister Espen Barth Eide bl.a. i dette forordet.
Social welfare in the Nordic and Baltic countries is being challenged on many fronts: demographic changes, increased mobility and an aging population are all important factors. There are pockets of high unemployment. People are leaving their home towns and villages. Large numbers are emigrating. In some areas skilled labour is becoming hard to find. All eight countries are facing rapidly increasing pension obligations and health care demands.
In Norway’s view, we should make active use of the Nordic-Baltic cooperation to address these challenges together, and our common focus should be on protecting and developing the welfare state, building strong people-to-people contacts, promoting cultural and educational cooperation and joining forces to combat crime.
Oslo, October 2012
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