Finland’s president Alexander Stubb sat down with Industry Minister Melanie Joly for a ‘fireside chat’ at Nokia’s Ottawa facility on Wednesday, with the conversation focused on increased cooperation between the two allies on defence in the arctic and beyond. 

Stubb and Joly sat down in a conversation moderated by CTV’s Vassy Kapelos. In attendance were business leaders from across the technology sector as well as government and military officials from Ottawa and Helsinki. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Stubb yesterday on Parliament Hill for the first official bilateral talks between the two leaders. 

“Canada and Finland share a common conviction,” the two leaders said in a joint statement issued after their meetings on Tuesday. “We must pursue both strategic autonomy and strategic cooperation to safeguard shared security and prosperity in an uncertain world,” 

“Our cooperation reflects the shared commitment that we are stronger when our societies are resilient, inclusive and prepared for the future,” the statement said. 

Later that day the two leaders put on their skates and joined the Ottawa Charge, the city’s professional women’s hockey team, for their on-ice practice. Hockey is the most popular sport in both Finland and Canada. 

During his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos at the end of January, Carney emphasized his focus on the role of middle powers around the world, and the need for them to band together in the face of great power rivalry and increasing uncertainty on the world stage.

Seeking collaboration with other middle powers is a “survival mechanism for smaller countries,” said Aaron Ettinger, a professor of political science at Carleton University.

“There’s strength in numbers,” Ettinger said, adding that many middle powers feel they can no longer rely on the United States and feel they must look elsewhere, and internally, to face today’s challenges. 

Carney and Stubb have shared a similar outlook on the role of middle powers, like Canada and Finland, in an increasingly uncertain global geopolitical stage.

As the conflict over the Strait of Hormuz, and Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine,  just on Finland’s doorstep, continue to rattle global markets, the two leaders have spoken of the importance of middle powers banding together to pull their weight on the global stage. 

Finland and Canada share similar goals and geopolitical circumstances, the two states are middle power democracies which have territory in the Arctic. Finland joined NATO in 2023 owing to concerns over security amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

When Finland finalized its process of joining NATO three years ago, Canada was the first of the alliance’s member states to ratify its ascension. 

“We have a lot we can learn from each other as we navigate this difficult geopolitical moment,” defence minister David McGuinty said during the event. McGuinty spoke of the importance of increased strategic cooperation between Canada and Europe. 

McGuinty said that Canada and Finland are natural partners. “In an increasingly uncertain world, Canada and Finland are stepping forward as partners. It’s natural. We fit in.” 

Stubb said that middle powers such as Canada and Finland must navigate chaotic and uncertain times as partners.

“We live in an age of unpeace,” Stubb said in his conversation with Joly. “Which means that things that were meant to bring us together, like technology, energy, currency, trade, interdependence, are now used to tear us apart.”