AMBASSADOR Juha Pyykkö provided an exclusive interview to ENVOYS&EXPATS ahead of the Republic of Finland’s National Day festivities on December 6.
According to Pyykkö, there’s much to explore as the Philippines refreshes its bilateral relations with the Scandinavian nation. The diplomat provides an impressive overview of such.
ENVOYS&EXPATS: Congratulations on the reopening of the Finnish Embassy in the Philippines! What made your government decide on this?
PYYKKÖ: Thank you very much! I am naturally very happy and proud that I am the first “new” ambassador of Finland to the Philippines since fall of 2020.
There were—and are—three main reasons for the reestablishment of our deputation here. First, with an embassy on the spot, we can more actively and meaningfully engage in facilitating the entry of Finnish companies in the Philippine market. In many respects, I see that Finnish firms have expertise in fields which directly contribute to the recovery of the Philippine economy and further development of society at large. Here, we are talking about green transition: increasing use of renewable energy, waste-to-energy and circular economy solutions in the fight against plastic waste, for example.
Further, digitalization is running through our economies and societies, and we can offer Finnish know-how and solutions. In Finland, we see education as the foundation of our own development story over the decades, and we are happy to introduce our solutions here as well. In addition to the commercial side of all these, we want to engage in a policy dialogue with the Philippines on these topics in order to exchange ideas and experiences.
Second, our embassy plays an important role in the processing of residence permit and visa applications of Filipinos who want to travel to Finland. There is a growing number of local professionals, largely in the health-care sector, who travel to live and work there, which is highly appreciated. The Philippine community in Finland, estimated to number some 6,000 to 7,000, is a respected and much liked part of the Finnish economy and society.
Third, the geoeconomic and geopolitical situation in this region, and in the Indo-Pacific more broadly, is of great interest and significance to Finland and the European Union (EU). With an outpost in Manila, we can follow and analyze the developments more closely.
Overall, all our work at the embassy is based on human rights, since the foreign and security policy of Finland is founded on such.
What should Filipinos know about the Finns and Finland? How are we the same or different? How can we work together?
Something that people share all over the world is the quest for happiness. You might know that, five years running, Finland has been ranked “the happiest nation in the world.” We Finns are so humble that when learning about the results of the ranking for the first time, we could hardly believe it.
As I express it many times, for us Finns, being happy in life is more of being content. This feeling and experience is based on our freedom, relationship to nature, social security, gender equality, and trust. Trust in society and among inhabitants is, for me, the most important thing that defines Finnish society and us Finns. We might be a bit slow to warm up as individuals but when you get a Finn as a friend, she or he will be there as a rock to firmly stand on, or as a shoulder to cry your tears.
Filipinos smile and laugh more than Finns. This is something that I like a lot here. Your display of happiness through resilience is something I really admire. We should learn from your smiles, and your affection for your family and close-ones.
In many ways, I see Finns and Filipinos complement each other. Being in different parts of the world and our populations being of hugely different magnitude, I think we can learn from each other in so many ways by sharing views and experiences. As they say, it is always a two-way street where both partners stand to give, learn, and get.
On the more professional side, one aspect of international politics where Finland and the Philippines share similar views, is the importance of multilateralism where the United Nations system is at the core. That said, I want to express my appreciation to the government of the Philippines for joining the condemnation of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. That is a grave breach of international law. We should all be vigilant and work relentlessly against the disinformation spreading about the reasons for and implications of the invasion.
What can we expect from your term as ambassador? What are the relations’ areas you wish to focus on?
I sincerely hope that I, together with my great team in our embassy, can make a successful fresh start in the bilateral relations between our two countries—be it in commercial relations, immigration matters, and cooperation on international issues in various multilateral fora.
Likewise, I hope that as member-state of the EU, the Embassy of Finland in the Philippines can contribute to strengthening the role of the EU in this region.