The Finnish ambassador in Pristina, Matti Nissinen, says that the implementation of the agreed Ohrid Agreement accelerates the process of membership of Kosovo and Serbia in the European Union. In an interview for KosovaPress, Nissinen emphasizes that the implementation of the agreement is mandatory for both parties.

Ambassador Nissinen says that Kosovo belongs to European and Euro-Atlantic organizations, while expressing support for membership in the Council of Europe and the European Union. According to him, Finland's priority for Kosovo remains economic growth, which, as he says, is best achieved through cooperation between the two countries.

The Finnish diplomat also pays special attention to the security environment in the world after Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, for which he emphasizes that it is vital that countries like Kosovo and Finland continue to support democratic values in the world.

Also, the Finnish ambassador, who took office in September of last year, in the written interview for KosovaPress also talks about how Finland has been chosen for the sixth time in a row as the country with the happiest population in the world, while revealing "the secret” of this fact.

The full interview:

KosovaPress: Mr. Ambassador, first let me thank you for the opportunity to do this interview for the KosovaPress News Agency. Since this is your first interview, what are your impressions of Kosovo, and how do you consider the relations between Finland and Kosovo over the years?

Ambassador Nissinen: I have enjoyed every moment here in Kosovo since my arrival in September. I love its nature, especially mountains, peoples’ hospitality and of course food. It has been a pleasure to meet with many people across the country and have interesting discussions with them. I have especially enjoyed my many visits to different schools and universities in the country, and the opportunity to talk with the students. One of my priorities will be to meet regularly with the youth of Kosovo, and hear about their hopes and vision for the future. I consider this very important and I must emphasize here that Kosovo not only has the youngest population, but bright, enthusiastic and eager to learn and contribute to Kosovo’s future.

Relationship between Kosovo and Finland is excellent, and goes back for many years. Finland has been, and will continue to be, the biggest supporter of Kosovo’s capacity building and international priorities. Our relationship has quite obviously evolved during the years, and now for example there is bigger focus on developing our bilateral economic cooperation. Overall, I consider the relationship between our countries as one of equal partners, where we both can benefit from sharing our best practices.

KosovaPress: Should economic cooperation be further deepened and what are Finland's plans for investments in Kosovo?

Ambassador Nissinen: Deepening our economic cooperation is definitely among my top priorities. We are working on a number of opportunities to increase cooperation among Kosovar and Finnish businesses and institutions, a cooperation from which both countries would benefit. Our Embassy’s trade experts and I are working tirelessly in order to promote trade and other opportunities. We already have a confirmation of Finnish companies participating at the General Fair 2023 organized by the Kosova Chamber of Commerce. The ICT sector, circular economy, sustainable energy and many other sectors are among those where we see great potential. One of our goals is having more visits of companies and experts of different fields, to and from Finland. For example, now in May, in cooperation with Kosovo Association of ICT companies (STIKK), we are bringing to Kosovo Finnish experts in the field of innovation and gaming industry. The aim is to share the knowledge with government and main stakeholders of the industry on the best practices and Finland’s experience in the ICT sector.

We are also working on establishing a Chamber of Commerce for the benefit of the Finnish companies here in Kosovo. We are still discussing modalities of such a Chamber, but I am confident that quite soon we will have it up and running. That would greatly benefit those Finnish companies that want to enter Kosovo markets. For practical reasons, the chamber might be established as a joint initiative together with our Nordic friends.

KosovaPress: Where is the focus of Finland's support in Kosovo, in which areas?

Ambassador Nissinen: Embassy of Finland in Pristina has decided together with the Finnish government a clear set of priorities for our work. Number one priority is to support Kosovo in achieving it’s international political priorities. This means for example supporting Kosovo’s memberships in international organizations, such as Council of Europe and the European Union. Political leaders in my country have repeatedly and publicly supported these memberships, and I will personally do the same here in Kosovo. During my career, I have worked quite a lot with European Union affairs. If my expertise in that field can be useful for Kosovo’s EU path that would make me very happy.

Traditionally Finland has strongly emphasized support for developing rule of law and security situation in the country. We will continue to do so. We have many experts working in the country from legal experts to military contingency. Also, support for the extremely important work done by non-governmental organizations continues to be in our focus. Personally, I have just recently met with prominent Finnish NGOs, such as the Deaconess Foundation and the Deaf Association of Finland who both are doing valuable cooperation projects with their Kosovar counterparts. I will support this type of cooperation in every way.

In addition, in collaboration with UBT college we have started a project which aims to increase the knowledge of students on EU affairs. I will replicate similar project to other schools and universities, as well.

KosovaPress: Let's talk a little about the consolidation of Kosovo's statehood in the international arena. Does Finland support Kosovo's goals for membership in international organizations?

Ambassador Nissinen: Absolutely. Finland firmly believes that Kosovo belongs to the European and Euro-Atlantic organizations. We have consistently said this, and continue to do so. Long-term position of Finland has been that, for example in the case of EU membership, those that fulfill the criteria are welcome to join. And Council of Europe membership, for example, is very important for the people of Kosovo, and supporting human rights in the country. Finland firmly supports this.

KosovaPress: Recently, an agreement was reached for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, how do you see this?

Ambassador Nissinen: Quite clearly, normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is crucial. It will open many doors for both countries in the international organizations. Agreement in Ohrid was an important step in the right direction. Now both parties should move swiftly in the implementation. The agreement and it’s implementation annex are binding for both parties. The European Union and other international partners have emphasized their readiness in continuing to support both parties fulfill these obligations without delay. Ultimately, decisions are made and action is taken by countries themselves, but the international community stands ready to help.

KosovaPress: How do you see the implementation plan, for which the parties agreed in Ohrid?

Ambassador Nissinen: As I said, now implementation is key, and parties should utilize current momentum. We have clearly entered a new phase in the dialogue process. My understanding is that the EU facilitator will invite parties to a meeting very soon. Hopefully this momentum will continue, and parties stand committed also in the next stages of the process.

KosovaPress: Do you think that the Association will cause a problem during the implementation of this agreement as well as for the functionality of the state of Kosovo, because it is known that Serbia wants an Association with executive powers, whereas for Kosovo this constitutes a constitutional violation?

Ambassador Nissinen: As an important element of the Agreement, Kosovo has agreed to launch immediately negotiations within the EU-facilitated Dialogue on establishing specific arrangements and guarantees to ensure an appropriate level of self-management for the Serbian community in Kosovo. This is not something new, but is based on agreements from 2013 and 2015, which speak of the establishment of an association of municipalities with Serbian majority. I do hope that this is an area where we can see swift results, as the EU-led dialogue continues.

KosovaPress: Should the whole process end with mutual recognition?

Ambassador Nissinen: Successful normalization process is certainly, what we are looking for. I think the agreement in Ohrid creates a whole new momentum also in this regard, with a view of normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Quite obviously, agreement and it’s successful implementation, will also speed up EU membership process for both countries.

KosovaPress: Let's talk a little about Finland. It was chosen for the sixth time as the country with the happiest population in the world, what is the key to this, and what is your message to Kosovar politicians?

Ambassador Nissinen: We Finns tend to be quite modest by nature, and our continuous success in the international happiness survey, among many other international indexes, has caused interesting reactions in my country. Of course, this success makes me very happy. In my opinion, happiness of people in Finland is based on strong foundation of the Finnish society in general. People feel safe, they trust each other and also state institutions. We feel very strongly that everyone in the society is equal, and has the same possibilities in life. Sometimes life brings difficulties, but in Finland you can generally feel confident that you will not be left alone. I believe that these elements contribute to the fact that we do so well in these surveys.

KosovaPress: When is Filnada's membership in NATO expected to happen, and how do you see the world today in the face of Russian military aggression in Ukraine?

Ambassador Nissinen: Security environment in the world has changed quite dramatically. I believe that it is of crucial importance for countries such as Kosovo and Finland to continue supporting democratic values in the world.

More than one year has passed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then the EU has remained firm in our support to Ukraine – and will continue to do so as long as is needed. Personally, I am pleased to see that the EU has so successfully exercised its economic, defense and political power.

Finland has applied for NATO membership, together with Sweden. When each member country has ratified the Accession Protocols, the members invite Finland to accede to the North Atlantic Treaty, making Finland a member of NATO. Our aim is that Finland, together with Sweden, will join NATO as soon as possible.

Thank you for your time, Mr. Ambassador!