Opportunities for Cooperation between Estonia and ... - Valitsus
Opportunities for Cooperation between Estonia and ... - Valitsus
Opportunities for Cooperation between Estonia and ... - Valitsus
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APPENDIX 1<br />
COOPERATION AND COMPETITIVENESS<br />
<strong>Opportunities</strong> <strong>for</strong> cooperation <strong>between</strong> <strong>Estonia</strong> <strong>and</strong> Finl<strong>and</strong><br />
The historical ties <strong>between</strong> <strong>Estonia</strong> <strong>and</strong> Finl<strong>and</strong>, the similarity of the languages<br />
<strong>and</strong> culture, <strong>and</strong> the short distance <strong>between</strong> the capital cities have created<br />
unique opportunities <strong>for</strong> fruitful cooperation. As inter-country cooperation<br />
cannot extend to all areas of life, it is thus necessary to make choices. For<br />
objective reasons, the existing conditions <strong>and</strong> relative size of the two countries,<br />
the resources available <strong>and</strong> the realistic prospects <strong>for</strong> further development are,<br />
in certain areas, completely different.<br />
To a great extent, successful cooperation is determined by social capital<br />
that affects mutual trust <strong>between</strong> people <strong>and</strong> the willingness to cooperate.<br />
From around the world <strong>and</strong> even Europe, we have numerous examples of<br />
how national, historical, chauvinistic or language-related circumstances <strong>and</strong><br />
associated prejudices often create an invisible barrier to rational cooperation –<br />
a cooperation that would have been beneficial to all parties. No such stumbling<br />
blocks exist <strong>between</strong> <strong>Estonia</strong> <strong>and</strong> Finl<strong>and</strong> today <strong>and</strong> we have every chance of<br />
avoiding them in the future as well.<br />
Over the past seventeen years, <strong>Estonia</strong>n-Finnish cooperation <strong>between</strong> citizens,<br />
entrepreneurs, authorities <strong>and</strong> organizations has been allowed to evolve<br />
freely. Aside from all the positive elements this type of interaction creates, we<br />
sometimes encounter a certain mutual suspicion, favouring of the interests of<br />
one party at the expense of the other, or ef<strong>for</strong>ts to make use of the other party<br />
to pursue one’s own goals.<br />
Credit <strong>for</strong> the varied <strong>for</strong>ms of existing cooperation goes to Finnish estophiles<br />
<strong>and</strong> friends of Finl<strong>and</strong> in <strong>Estonia</strong> who have been actively involved in creating,<br />
nurturing <strong>and</strong> consolidating these relations. Un<strong>for</strong>tunately, it is often the<br />
same people who are engaged in this work. Far too few young people take<br />
an interest in <strong>Estonia</strong>n-Finnish cooperation <strong>and</strong> fostering the relationship. The<br />
main reasons <strong>for</strong> this waning interest is the wealth of opportunities opening up<br />
elsewhere in the world <strong>and</strong> a poor knowledge of the neighbouring country.<br />
Access to accurate in<strong>for</strong>mation about the neighbour through the media <strong>and</strong><br />
other channels is of great importance. While communications is one area of<br />
cooperation, it also serves as a sort of infrastructure <strong>for</strong> all extensive cooperation<br />
<strong>between</strong> the two countries.<br />
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