The provinces of Eastern and Northern Finland want to build the security and vitality of Finland as a whole
The provinces of Eastern and Northern Finland have joined forces in response to the new threats facing the whole of Finland in a changed security situation. Eastern and Northern Finland needs investments in transport infrastructure and the main grid, which will speed up investments in the green transition, among other things. The counties have drawn up common Government Programme objectives to influence the vitality of the entire eastern and northern borders, especially the eastern border and northern regions. The aim is to improve the regional transport infrastructure and allocate EU funding fairly. There is a risk that a vitality vacuum in the east and north would drive the whole of Finland to the ever-increasing security challenges. Pentti Mäkinen, Regional Director of Etelä-Savo, points out that security of supply is built under normal conditions. According to Mäkinen, investments in Eastern and Northern Finland increase national security and are part of international crisis management. – It is up to us to deal with the whole of Finland. We are concerned about the direction of Finland and the security of the whole country," Mäkinen sums up. The vision for the development of Eastern Finland, published on 13 February, also states that, from the point of view of security policy, regional development cannot be based solely on centralisation, but that maintaining the territorial sovereignty of the state also requires decentralisation. EU-level decisions and agreements made by Finland must be followed Common to South Savo, North Savo, North Karelia, Central Ostrobothnia, North Ostrobothnia, Kainuu and Lapland include long distances and sparsely populated areas. The regions of Eastern and Northern Finland are part of the solutions for the future of Finland as a whole. The region uses natural resources in a sustainable way and creates new technologies, products and services for the whole world. When building the sustainable development of Finland as a whole, the voice of Eastern and Northern Finland must not be ignored. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has affected all of Finland, but it has put the security of Finland's eastern border at the centre of national defence strategically. While the effects of the war are visible in regional economies and vitality, Eastern and Northern Finland has felt its old plagues, the decline of the population and the emphasis on public investment in Southern and Western Finland. With the war in Ukraine, especially in the East, business has suffered, investments are waiting for themselves and concerns about the future are present. For example, the share of the tourism sector in Eastern and Northern Finland is 40 per cent of the share of the whole country. The sharp decline in Russian tourists has an impact on the investments of tourism companies, especially in South Savo, North Karelia and Kainuu. As a result of the war, traffic flows have changed, which is why additional investments in transport infrastructure that supports security of supply will be needed in the coming years. With the closing of the Saimaa Canal, freight traffic has shifted to rubber wheels and rails, which …
