Finnish PM underlines cohesion of society in New Year's statement

HELSINKI, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila extolled the turnaround of Finnish economy in his New Year's Message issued on Sunday, but at the same time warned against cracks in the cohesion of the society.

In November 2017, he said, about 83,000 more people had a job than a year earlier. The share of employed people rose to 70.4 percent of the working age population, the highest figure in the last ten years.

In a reference to the tight budget policy, Sipila said the government seeks to ensure that the impact of economic belt-tightening was shared as fairly as possible. He said that income disparities in Finland did not widen last year at all, "contrary to the impression given in the pubic debate on the matter".

The prime minister said cohesion is a key strength of Finnish society, and he underlined the significance of preserving cohesion.

He noted that following the centenary of independence in 2017, next year will mark 100 years since the Finnish civil war. "I hope we can join together to commemorate the Civil War rather than revisit the divisions of 1918", he said.

Sipila noted that in 1918 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will celebrate their centenary of independence. He said Finland and the Baltic countries are "united by history and now by a shared future of opportunities".

He also mentioned the plan, which is under review, to build a tunnel between Helsinki and the Estonian capital, Tallinn. Enditem