Preparedness, Narvik | Finland’s Minister of Communications on Narvik as a Finnish port city:

If the Baltic Sea is blocked as a result of an extended conflict with Russia, Finland will be completely cut off from transporting goods to and from its own ports. In that case, it will hit Finnish society hard.

– Almost 95 per cent of our imports and exports come by sea, explains Finnish Minister of Communications Lulu Ranne.

Led by Norway’s Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård, she is visiting Ofoten together with Sweden’s Transport Minister Andreas Carlson.

Important work

On Tuesday, the Nordic ministers will visit Narvik harbor to gain insight into the transport of American war material by rail from Narvik to the Immediate Response military exercise in Finland. The material arrived in Narvik last Wednesday by boat from Virginia in the USA.

Finland’s communications minister is painfully aware of how badly Finland could be hit if a conflict breaks out in the Baltic Sea. Lulu Ranne explains that her own ministry collaborates intensively to reduce vulnerabilities.

– When the big picture has now changed, and when the geopolitical situation is as it is, it is extremely important work, she emphasizes.

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Because if Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine develops further to the west, Finland may become completely dependent on getting goods, weapons and equipment transported by road and by rail through Sweden and Norway.

– How important do you think Narvik is as a port city for Finland?

– Extremely important, if the Finnish ports have to close as a result of a conflict in the Gulf of Bothnia.

Will build a new Finnish railway

Lulu Ranne says that the Finnish government has started the investigation into how the railway is to be developed and adapted to the Norwegian and Swedish standards. While the gauge on the Swedish and Norwegian railway network is 1,435 millimetres, the gauge on the Finnish railway is 1,524 millimetres.

In the first instance, Ranne wants a new railway to be built from Tornio to Oulu.

– We are looking at how we can build the first perhaps 100 kilometers that are adapted to the European gauge.

– It is important that we do this now. Even if it is expensive.

The Finnish minister believes that a modernization of the fishing railway network is important for both civil and military preparedness.

– We must be able to move both civilians and our troops. The railway is also important for transporting fuel and ammunition, she adds.

Important ministerial visit

Ranne says she will push for Norway and Sweden to invest heavily in developing the railway to strengthen preparedness.

– Everyone must see that this is important. Finland’s border with Russia is now also NATO’s and the EU’s outer border. It is therefore not just about Finland. It is about NATO and all the Nordic countries.

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Lulu Ranne believes the Nordic minister’s visit to Ofoten is important.

– We are sending a signal to Russia that we stick together, that we are strong and that we want to build security together.

– It’s not just plans. We want to build infrastructure.