About Alexander Stubb
President Alexander Stubb has been active in international diplomacy, hosting Kenyan President William Ruto in Helsinki for talks that produced three memoranda of understanding on education, digitalization, and the environment. Stubb described Kenya as a "middle power" whose voice "needs to be heard around the globe" and called for a "paradigm shift" in global institutions. He also traveled to Egypt and Jordan, where he discussed the Iran conflict and stated that the Strait of Hormuz situation is "on a knife's edge." Stubb expressed support for a two-state solution regarding Israel and Palestine and said he would be willing to recognize a Palestinian state "when the time is right from a Finnish perspective."
In interviews, Stubb has argued that global conflicts are increasingly interconnected and that the current shift in world order began with Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and accelerated under the new U.S. administration. He has called for reforming multilateral institutions, including expanding the UN Security Council and scrapping the veto power. On NATO, Stubb said he expects "controlled burden sharing" with Europe taking more responsibility for its own security, but he does not see U.S. commitment diminishing. He described Ukraine as being in a "position of strength" and suggested it is time for Europe to engage in diplomatic conversations with Russia's leadership. Stubb also noted that he communicates regularly with other leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, through group chats with close allies.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Alexander Stubb's recent appearances.
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✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
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Narrator1:17
The ceremony has ended and now we will continue with the press conference. Madame President Hala Thomas, President of Iceland, and Mr. Alexander Stubb, President of Finland, will begin with a few opening remarks and then there is an opportunity for questions.
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Alexander Stubb2:09
Thank you very much. I'm delighted to welcome Halla here to Helsinki in slightly Icelandic weather. But nevertheless, I think this visit is yet another sign of the strength of the relationship between our countries. We're both Nordic countries, values-based countries, and we share common interests and values, and we have both a strong relationship, of course, with nature. Today, we've discussed our bilateral relations, our political relations, our security relations. We've discussed the Arctic, economic cooperation, entrepreneurship, education, as well as opportunities for young people in our countries. We have spoken about our transatlantic relationship. We have spoken about Ukraine and Russia. The importance of Nordic cooperation has increased during recent years. As northern neighbors, Iceland and Finland are actively involved in this cooperation. And in times like these, it really matters to know who your friends are. And I think the bond that you and I have forged from the beginning when we started this office is a portrayal of that. Today, as you saw, we also signed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral defense cooperation between our countries, and this agreement of course paves the way for further cooperation. We saw one example of this in February when the Finnish Air Force took part in NATO's air policing mission in Iceland. And Iceland of course is a founding member of NATO, and Finland's NATO membership has further strengthened the defense relationship between our countries. Our cooperation also continues within the framework of the Joint Expeditionary Force, JEF. And it's important to say that security in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic region remains of high priority to JEF. And lest I forgot to mention, we did discuss Arctic issues as well. The importance of the Arctic continues to grow. It's becoming part of the global geostrategic chess game, whether we like it or not. The impact of climate change will be strongly felt in and around the Arctic. With Iceland, we share the goal of a peaceful, prosperous, and stable Arctic. And let me finish by saying that there's also a lot of potential for economic expansion. The startup scene, for example, is thriving in both of our countries. We'll do some more business-oriented work tomorrow. Currently, however, trade and investment figures lag somewhat behind those of our Nordic landlocked neighbors, and we hope that this state visit with its large accompanying business delegation will boost bilateral economic relations. Even though we are a few hours apart in terms of time zones, Helsinki and Reykjavik are actually quite close. We're connected by a quick direct flight with both Iceland Air and Finnair, two and a half hours I think. So once more, thanks Halla for accepting the invitation to this state visit, and I'm looking forward to spending time with you today and tomorrow.
