Permanent secretaries seek to deepen cooperation on visit to Åland

The permanent secretaries of the ministries visited Åland on Monday 28 September. On their visit, the permanent secretaries met with members of the Government of Åland, local business leaders and representatives of public authorities. The visit was part of ongoing work to strengthen dialogue and deepen practical cooperation between the central government administration and the Government of Åland.

The purpose of the visit was to deepen and broaden cooperation with the self-governing authorities of Åland and to discuss topical issues across various branches of government. The permanent secretaries of the ministries last visited Åland together in 2017.

“The permanent secretaries’ visit is a natural continuation of work to deepen cooperation between the Finnish Government and the Government of Åland. The visit by the ministries’ senior management is a way of translating dialogue at the strategic level into practical administrative cooperation,” said Risto Artjoki, State Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office.

The permanent secretaries had a discussion on the current state of the reform of the Autonomy Act with Premier of the Government of Åland Katrin Sjögren, Head of Administration John Eriksson and other representatives of the Government of Åland. Other topics on the agenda included security and preparedness, healthcare and social welfare, education and culture, and issues related to energy and logistics.

A key objective of the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government is to deepen and foster Åland’s autonomy in good cooperation and dialogue with Åland. Active work has been done to strengthen dialogue with Åland during the current parliamentary term. The Orpo Government and the Government of Åland met for discussions on growth, competitiveness and preparedness in spring 2024 and autumn 2025. The Security Committee has also held a joint meeting with representatives of the Government of Åland.