Niinistö described discussions among the group of Nordic leaders Wednesday as fair and thorough in many respects. The Finnish president said that the group covered a wide range of topics ranging from a proposed EU-US free trade agreement to climate change, arctic interests and gender equality.
Niinistö represented Finland in the talks, which were attended by Danish Prime Minister Helle Thornig-Schmidt, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Iceland premier David Gunnlaugsson.
Obama and the Nordic leaders issued a joint statement following the meeting, in which they strongly condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
“It seems quite clear that chemical weapons have been used in Syria and that is a crime against humanity,” Niinistö said.
The President added that the situation has highlighted the responsibilities of the United Nations Security Council and UN member states.
President on Nokia: Best to look ahead
Niinistö also commented on the recently-announced sale of Nokia’s mobile phone operations to its software partner Microsoft, saying that it’s best to look to the future.
“We are experiencing great sadness following the passing of the glory days. It’s very understandable on an emotional level, but the glory days don’t bring anything to the table. The best attitude would be to look to the future and to see what opportunities it offers,” Niinistö advised.