Finnish and German Ministers for European Affairs discuss energy and security situation

NordenBladet — On Thursday 17 March, Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen met with her colleague, German Minister of State for Europe Anna Lührmann, in Berlin. The ministers discussed the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Europe, particularly on the energy sector.Both ministers stressed the importance of ambitious climate objectives for phasing out fossil fuels from Russia and transitioning to renewable energy sources. Security of energy supply is also a particularly high priority in the current situation.The ministers discussed the General Affairs Council meeting that will take place next week. The meeting is in preparation for the March European Council, where the EU leaders will adopt the Strategic Compass. The Strategic Compass will determine the direction of the EU’s security and defence cooperation and clarify its objectives over the next 5 to 10 years.“We are living in a time when we must invest in strengthening the EU, including in the areas of foreign and security policy and defence cooperation. Adopting the Strategic Compass, which sets the course for EU security and defence cooperation over the long term, is an important step forward in developing European security,” Tuppurainen said.Minister Tuppurainen also met with Michael Roth, Chair of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee. In this meeting, too, the main focus was on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its many consequences for Europe. The current situation with regard to the rule of law procedure and support for the Commission were also on the agenda.Minister Tuppurainen travelled to Berlin as part of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s delegation, which met with German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on 16 March.