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Helena-Reet Ennet

Helena-Reet Ennet
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Finland sends an expert in international civil protection to Madagascar

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Ministry of the Interior has decided to send an expert to Madagascar, where tropical cyclone Batsirai has caused extensive damage due to heavy rains, strong wind and floods. Pelastusopisto – Emergency Services Academy Finland is the employer of the posted expert.By decision of the Ministry of the Interior, the Emergency Services Academy will send an expert to Madagascar as part of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, through which Madagascar has requested international assistance. The purpose of the expert group deployed through the Mechanism is to survey damage and coordinate possible international civil protection operations together with local authorities. The task of the expert posted by Finland is to collect information and maintain a picture of the situation. According to a preliminary estimate, the mission will last about three weeks.Finland is an active provider of expert assistanceInternational civil protection operations refer to the provision of assistance to other countries and reception of assistance in Finland under international treaties and legislation in the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster or incident when the affected country lacks adequate resources. Finland participates in international civil protection operations through the European Union and international organisations, as well as in accordance with bilateral and multilateral international treaties. 

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Finland creates an educational package to make cybersecurity a civic skill across the European Union

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Researchers at Aalto University are creating an educational package on cybersecurity, which will be shared with all EU countries. Finland has been awarded EUR 5 million for this project from the EU recovery instrument for a three-year period.Cybersecurity awareness and the related civic skills play an increasingly important role as our societies become more digitalised. With that in mind, Aalto University and the Ministry of Transport and Communications are carrying out an extensive project to create an educational package to promote cybersecurity skills in the EU Member States. An agreement for a three-year project has been signed.“Understanding the basics of information security is increasingly important, and digital literacy in general is a civic skill in today’s digital societies,” says Jarno Limnéll, Professor of Practice in Cyber Security at Aalto University, and leader of the project.“Aalto University has a great deal of experience in various aspects of cybersecurity, including research, teaching, creating online teaching platforms and producing educational materials. We are in an excellent position to export our expertise across Europe while at the same time further strengthening Finland’s good reputation as a country dedicated to cybersecurity,” Limnéll continues.“The degree to which citizens are willing and able to use digital services determines the pace of digital transformation. Being able to trust in digital products and services is essential. Having security as a built-in feature and raising awareness among users of its importance creates trust,” says Timo Harakka, Minister of Transport and Communications.“We are talking about civic skills that are important now and even more so in the future as digitalisation progresses. The fact that this project received funding from the EU recovery instrument reflects its importance. Teaching cybersecurity skills and providing related training and education is a worthwhile investment, and an opportunity to make use of novel learning methods,” says Rauli Paananen, National Cybersecurity Director.Using games to teach cybersecurity skills increases motivation A team of researchers at Aalto University, led by Limnéll, will start its work immediately. The first, rather extensive stage of the research process is to research what practices and materials are currently used to teach cybersecurity skills to citizens in the EU Member States. The results will be compiled into a comprehensive report.Aalto University and its cybersecurity researchers have significant experience in EU projects, and they know what a successful project requires. The team also benefits from strong interdisciplinary collaboration within the university. The project team will tap into Aalto University’s multidisciplinary expertise to develop new methods for teaching cybersecurity skills, such as gamification, with the content and visual elements of the game helping to build motivation.The project will result in the launch of an open website that teaches cybersecurity skills to citizens. The content of the website will be available in all official languages of the European Union. The educational material will be practical and easy to use, and will take into account the specific requirements of different age groups. Early user experiences will provide valuable information for the practical implementation of both the teaching materials and the game.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

President of the Riigikogu expressed Estonia’s complete support to Ukraine  

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet —

President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas expressed Estonia’s full support to Ukraine at the meeting with Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk today in Kyiv.

Ratas underlined that there was no doubt in the global democratic community that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity were unconditional. “Invasion of an independent state is a grave violation of international law,” Ratas said. He recalled that the war in Donbass had been going on for eight years already, and it had to stop immediately.

Ratas assured his Ukrainian counterpart of the cooperation of like-minded democratic states and allies, and promised that Ukraine would not be left alone. “It is our duty to support Ukraine in your fight for your territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Ratas said.

Current security situation and plans for interparliamentary cooperation were discussed at the meeting.

At the meeting with Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Ratas also assured that Estonia supports Ukraine in every way both bilaterally and in international organisations. Security cooperation, including military assistance, development cooperation and humanitarian aid, as well as cyber defence cooperation were discussed.  

The President of the Riigikogu gave a speech at the digital development and digital services forum Diia Summit. He spoke about the digitalisation of democratic societies through the example of Estonia and emphasised that the development of digital governance must be citizen-focused, and the legislation should support it.

The President of the Riigikogu is accompanied on the visit by Chair of Estonia-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Riigikogu Mati Raidma and Member of the Riigikogu Urmas Reinsalu. In the afternoon, the Estonian delegation laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and commemorated the victims of the Great Famine of the 1930s in Ukraine (Holodomor). Tomorrow, the Estonian delegation will visit the Administrative Border Line with Crimea and get information about the situation there.

Photos of the visit (Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Denmark: Crown Princess Mary caps her birthday celebrations with a heartfelt message to the public

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – The celebrations for Crown Princess Mary’s 50th birthday came to a spectacular end on Sunday, when TV2 broadcast “Mary 50 years – we celebrate Denmark’s Crown Princess,” a special evening featuring music, dancing and a documentary about the Princess’s work featuring a surprise appearance from all four of her children.

Before that, two exhibitions were opened, two interviews were published, a book was released, a newly painted portrait was unveiled, and eight new pictures graced the Royal Household’s social media profiles.

So it’s safe to say that Denmark celebrated its beloved Crown Princess with the showering of love, joy and well wishes they could muster.

And, in return, the Crown Princess released one last thank you message through the official profiles of the Royal Court.

Accompanying a picture of many hot pink peonies with a sitting room in the background, the Crown Princess personally penned a message to thank the public for the “warm greetings” she received.

The message says: “Becoming 50 years old is something very special. But that I received so many warm greetings from all over Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland…. and Australia – I was deeply moved. It’s not so crazy to be 50 ? Thank you very much for that – I was very pleased. The Crown Princess.”

The Crown Princess was born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson in Hobart, Australia, on the 5th of February 1972. She met the future King of Denmark during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and the couple married in 2004.

They went on to have four children: Prince Christian (born in 2005), Princess Isabella (born in 2007) and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine (born in 2011).

Since becoming a member of the Royal Family, Crown Princess Mary has undertaken countless public engagements, with her primary focuses being female health and education, Danish promotion abroad, and, most recently, mental health.

 

The Bill on Amendments to the National Defence Act passed the second reading in the Riigikogu

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet —

At today’s sitting, the Riigikogu concluded the second reading of the Bill that is intended to create better preconditions for the use of civil resources in ensuring independent defence capability and in hosting allies, and that will comprehensively update the regulation of national defence duties.

The Bill on Amendments to the National Defence Act and Amendments to Other Associated Acts (417 SE), initiated by the Government, will clarify the imposition of the duty to grant use of items and the expropriation of items, and the relevant powers will be granted to the Defence Resources Agency and the Defence Forces or an agency of executive power authorised by the Government.

The current National Defence Duties Act will be repealed, and the issues relating to the duties will be set out in the National Defence Act.

In the course of the second reading, amendments were also made to the Bill. Among other things, amendments were made to the list specifying when the Government can establish the conditions for the payments from the state budget for the use of additional state funds. Mobilisation and demobilisation were included in the list besides increased defence readiness, state of emergency and state of war.

The deadline for entry into force was also changed. If the Act is passed, it will enter into force on 1 March.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

The video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
(Please note that the recording will be uploaded with a delay.)

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Scandinavian Airlines opens new routes to Toronto from Copenhagen and Stockholm

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet – Scandinavian Airlines (more commonly known and styled as SAS) expands its network in North America and will start direct routes to Toronto from Copenhagen and Stockholm in June 2022. SAS will operate three weekly flights from Copenhagen and four weekly flights from Stockholm with brand-new A321LR aircraft.

Toronto is the fourth largest city in North America, an international center for business and finance, a truly cosmopolitan city with a vast array of experiences for travelers, from major sports and culture events to great outdoor sceneries around the Great Lakes.

“We are happy to announce direct flights from Scandinavia to Toronto, taking the next step in strengthening our North America network. SAS’ new routes will make travel between Scandinavia and Canada easy and convenient for our travelers. Flights depart from Scandinavia at midday and from Toronto in the afternoon enabling good connections in either end to other destinations, says Karl Sandlund, EVP Commercial, SAS.

SAS direct routes to Toronto will start in June 2022, provided that SAS obtains the necessary approval from the authorities. Ticket sales will start soon.

The Toronto routes will be operated by A321LR aircraft in a three-class configuration with 157 seats; 22 seats in SAS Business, 12 seats in SAS Plus (premium economy), and 123 seats in SAS Go (economy).

“SAS aims to be a global leader in sustainable aviation. As we continue to phase in new, fuel-efficient aircraft we now have one of Europe’s most modern fleets. The new, state-of-the-art aircraft will give our customers a more pleasant, comfortable and sustainable way of traveling,” continues Sandlund.

In the coming summer season, SAS will fly to a total of seven destinations in the US and Canada: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Toronto.

President of the Riigikogu is visiting Ukraine

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet —

President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas is on an official visit to Ukraine. He is accompanied by Chair of Estonia-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Riigikogu Mati Raidma and Member of the Riigikogu Urmas Reinsalu.

The visit will begin with a meeting with Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk.

After that, the President of the Riigikogu will give a speech at the digital development and digital services forum Diia Summit, where he will talk about the digitalisation of democratic societies through the example of Estonia.

In the afternoon, the Estonian delegation will lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and commemorate the victims of Holodomor (Great Famine) in Ukraine, in whose memory the monument “Bitter Memory of Childhood” has been erected.

During the visit, the Estonian delegation will meet with Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal. They will also have a meeting with Head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Ukraine Jarno Habicht and visit the incubator of technology start-ups Lift99.

On Wednesday, the Estonian delegation will visit the Administrative Border Line with Crimea to learn about the situation there. They will also go to the port city Kherson, and meet with Head of Kherson Regional Council Oleksandr Samoilenko and Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine Anton Korynevych.

The main topics discussed at the meetings will be the security policy situation, bilateral relations and Estonia’s support to Ukraine, relations with Russia, NATO and the European Union, as well as development cooperation and humanitarian aid.

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Ministry requests comments on Posiva Oy’s operating licence application for an encapsulation plant and disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel by 15 September

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment requests comments on Posiva Oy’s application for an operating licence that the company submitted to the Government on 30 December 2021 for an encapsulation plant and a disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel. The encapsulation plant is located above ground and an underground repository of the disposal facility is located in the bedrock at a depth of approximately 400–430 metres in Olkiluoto, Eurajoki.Posiva Oy’s operating licence application is processed by Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The company is applying for the operating licence for a period from March 2024 to the end of 2070. During that time, the majority of the spent nuclear fuel of Teollisuuden Voima Oyj’s nuclear power plant in Olkiluoto and Fortum Power and Heat Oy’s nuclear power plant in Loviisa would be disposed of in Posiva’s disposal facility. Posiva’s encapsulation plant and disposal facility are expected to operate until the late 2120s, or until the disposal of all the spent nuclear fuel from the nuclear power plants of Posiva’s owners.The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment requests statements from several authorities, organisations and municipalities in the affected area, and provides citizens and communities with an opportunity to express their opinions. These statements and opinions will be taken into account when the operating licence application is processed. The Ministry is also prepared to organise a seminar for the authorities during the licence application processing. The Ministry also requests a statement on the safety of the encapsulation and  the disposal facility from the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will process the operating licence application according to the Nuclear Energy Act. The Government will decide later whether to grant the operating licence.In November 2015, the Government granted Posiva a construction licence and the construction began in December 2016. Posiva launched the construction of an underground research facility, ONKALO, in June 2004 based on a Government decision-in-principle and under the supervision of STUK. It is an integral part of the disposal facility.Comments can be submitted via different channels until 15 SeptemberA notice concerning the start of the processing of Posiva’s operating licence application will be published on 8 February 2022 in the following newspapers: Helsingin Sanomat, Turun Sanomat, Satakunnan Kansa, Hufvudstadsbladet, Länsi-Suomi, Loviisan Sanomat and Östnyland. The notice will be published on 9 February 2022 in the newspapers Raumalainen and Nya Östis. In addition, a request for comments on the project is available online in the www.lausuntopalvelu.fi service and a public notice is posted on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s website at: https://tem.fi/posivas-operating-licenceComments are requested via the Lausuntopalvelu.fi consultation service by 15 September 2022. Please submit your opinion by responding to the request published at the web site. If comments are submitted in that manner, they need not be separately sent to the Ministry. To submit your comments, please register and sign in to the lausuntopalvelu.fi web site. All opinions received are public and will be published on lausuntopalvelu.fi.If you do not wish to register for the service, you can also send your comments by email to the Registry of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment at kirjaamo.tem(at)gov.fi or by mail to the Registry of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, PO Box 32, FI-00023 GOVERNMENT. The visiting address of the Registry is Ritarikatu 2 B, 00170 Helsinki. Please include the register number VN/34352/2021 in all comments.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

Jüri Ratas discussed strengthening of bilateral relations with his Azerbaijan counterpart    

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet —

President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas and Speaker of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova spoke of strengthening the meaningful bilateral relations both at sectoral and parliamentary level.  

According to Ratas, the relations between Estonia and Azerbaijan are excellent and friendly. “We have long traditions of cooperation in IT and education, but they could be more substantial and closer,” Ratas said.

Gafarova and Ratas both underlined the need to strengthen parliamentary relations, and exchange of experience as well as meaningful cooperation in different fields, from cooperation in education and cooperation between universities to economic and environmental connections and the strengthening of digital cooperation. The development of relations at the European Union level to ensure energy security was also considered important.

The Speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan recalled that the relations between the two countries had been excellent already since the restoration of independence of both countries. April of this year will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Estonia and Azerbaijan.

Deputy Chairman of the Estonia-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Friendship Group Mihhail Korb, who participated in the meeting, pointed out that there were around 2000 Azerbaijanis in Estonia, who were actively engaged in cultural exchanges between the two countries.  

Deputy Chair of the Social Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu Helmen Kütt acknowledged the warm relations between the people and expressed hope that Estonia would be able share its experience in social and health care, like its achievements in e-Health.

Photos of the meeting (Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Source: Parliament of Estonia

Minister Blomqvist to attend virtual meeting of Ministers for Nordic Cooperation

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Helena-Reet Ennet
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NordenBladet — Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality Thomas Blomqvist will attend a virtual meeting of Ministers for Nordic Cooperation on 8 February. This will be the first meeting during Norway’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2022. Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers ended at the turn of the year.The main items on the meeting agenda will be preparation of the budget of the Nordic Council of Ministers for 2023 and cooperation in times of crisis. Ministers will discuss, among other things, monitoring of the recommendations included in the strategy report on the cooperation, compiled by former government minister Jan-Erik Enestam. “We will continue the implementation of Our Vision 2030 and the Action Plan prepared to support it.  This will show also in the focal points of the budget of the Council of Ministers. The Nordic countries’ objective to be the most sustainable and integrated region in the world has been further accentuated during the pandemic, and we will continue our determined work towards a green, competitive and socially sustainable Nordic region. In this connection, the development of our common crisis preparedness is also of central importance. One of the key themes of the Finnish Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers was the promotion of Nordic cooperation in the field of security of supply and preparedness. I am happy to note that Norway has expressed its strong commitment to continuing the work launched by Finland,” Minister Blomqvist says.  The President of the Nordic Council, Member of Parliament Erkki Tuomioja, has been invited to attend the meeting and to contribute Nordic parliamentarians’ views on matters related to the budget of the Nordic Council of Ministers. During the budget debate, solutions will also be sought to the renovation needs of the Nordic House, designed by Alvar Aalto, which is located in Reykjavik. Additionally, the meeting will decide on a new strategy concerning the Nordic countries’ international profile and on the continuation of the Nordic cooperation on the integration of refugees and migrants in society.  

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

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