(Det talte ord gælder)

Dear Mr. President of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, 

distinguished ministers, 
honorable parliamentarians, 
esteemed officials, 
ladies and gentlemen

I welcome you all to the 33rd Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference here in Elsinore.

Also welcome to the participants from the Youth Forum.
Here in Elsinore, we are in a central location in the Baltic Sea region. 

This is where the entrance to Øresund and the Baltic Sea is narrowest. 

It is here the Øresund customs – for centuries - have been collected, and deadly battles have been fought between Denmark and Sweden for control of Øresund and the Baltic Sea.

It is also precisely in this region that a large-scale coordinated action took place in October 1943. 

More than 7,000 Danish Jews were saved from deportation and sailed to safety in neutral Sweden. 
Many Jews came to Sweden from here in North Zealand. Local fishermen hid them on their fishing boats and sailed them across Øresund under the cover of the night.

Neutral Sweden was very close to Denmark, and the border could be crossed by sea - right here in Øresund.

The action was of great significance for the Allied perception of Denmark's position during and after the war. 
In international Jewish history, the rescue of the Danish Jews stands out as an event that demonstrated resilience and humanity.
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Dear Members of Parliaments.

The brutal Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022 was a turning point for Europe. 

And to the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference.
Cooperation with the Russian Duma and its regional parliaments was terminated immediately.

The Russian invasion in Ukraine is against all principles in a rule-based international order.  

My heart goes out to the brave people of Ukraine. I condemn the Russian aggression in the strongest terms. 

Ukraine has now been fighting for its freedom for more than two and a half years.
And I am deeply impressed by the determination of the Ukrainian people to defend their freedom and democracy.

We must continue our support for Ukraine. 

We must stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, because their fight is also our fight. We share the same values about democracy, individual freedom and a rule-based international order. 

After Russia's withdrawal from the institutions of the Baltic Sea region, it is important that the other neighbors cooperate even more closely:

At this conference and in the Baltic Sea Council.

We also work well together in other formats: in the EU and in NATO. 

I am glad that Finland and Sweden are now members of NATO. 
This will make our alliance stronger. 

And our deterrence even more effective.
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Dear Members of Parliaments.
The theme for this year's conference is safety and security in the Baltic Sea region. 

In recent years, we have seen a number of incidents with a destabilizing effect on the energy supply in the Baltic Sea region. 
A year after the blowing up of the Nord Stream pipelines, the Finnish-Estonian gas pipeline was subjected to what has been categorized as sabotage.

Danish district heating has also been exposed to major cyberattacks. 

And in 2022, we had numerous recorded attacks on the GPS signal in Denmark.

Unfortunately, these attacks on our power grids, internet cables and digital systems never seem to end. 

So far, we have managed to fix every breakdown, due to our know how and expertise. 
  
But the attacks also aim at creating uncertainty in the population. 

To provoke division and criticism of the West's position in relation to Russia.
The political rhetoric of today is aggressive, and more and larger military exercises are held in the Baltic area.

I am not saying this to scare anyone, and I wish the reality was different. 

Dear participants.
The Baltic Sea is a key region in Europe. In this region we see many big questions of our time unfolding. 

Climate change and protection of maritime ecosystems.
Energy and safety in maritime infrastructures.

Democracies are under attack – in the digital space and close to the Baltic Sea region in Ukraine.

It is important that we exchange ideas with each other and learn from each other. 

And the participation of young people in our youth forum is of great value.  
I would like to wish you all good days here in Elsinore with good and constructive discussions. 

And with hopefully new friendships across the Baltic Sea.

The parliamentary conference in the Baltic Sea is a particularly valuable forum for dialogue between the parliaments in the Baltic Sea region.

Now for more than 30 years. Thank you.