Leaders arrive in Finnish region of Lapland for North-South Summit on European security

Leaders from northern and southern Europe have arrived in Saariselkä in the Finnish region of Lapland for the North-South Summit on European security and defence.

In attendance are Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Greek Prime Minister Kyriákos Mitsotákis and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

The main focus of the summit is defence and preparedness, including Baltic Sea security in the wake of the damage caused to various undersea cables in November.

On Thursday, Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3, which was spotted in the area at the time of the incidents, was inspected by authorities from Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

In a statement, Swedish police said that “representatives of the Chinese authorities are conducting investigations aboard the vessel and have invited the Swedish authorities to take part in an observer role”.

They did not elaborate on the nature of the Chinese investigations but said they are not part of the police investigation and the Swedish police authority would not conduct “investigative measures” of its own aboard the ship.

However, while commenting on the cables, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson refrained from speculating on whether the damage was due to an accident or sabotage, but said his government is ‘deeply concerned’.

"We do not yet have certainty. We have no accusations, but the government is deeply concerned. We do not believe things just happen. The Baltic Sea has proven vulnerable before and vessels have caused damage in the past," Kristersson said.

The issue of migration and border security is also being discussed at the summit, with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo claiming that the leaders in attendance have expressed support for his country’s controversial ‘deportation bill’.

“Europe has to take greater responsibility for its own security. This means that European countries have to be strong leaders, both in the EU and in NATO. Our greatest threat is Russia, which is trying to consolidate power and sow discord in Europe. The geopolitical situation is also very challenging in the Middle East and North Africa, for example,” said Prime Minister Orpo.

The law in concern would allow Finland to turn away asylum seekers at its eastern border with Russia.

It has received intense backlash from human rights groups who say it violates international law.

The bill is currently under review by the European Commission, but Orpo has stated that he received a letter of support from EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen before the latest EU summit.

The leaders gathered in Saariselkä are also meeting with border experts, providing them with the opportunity to discuss issues confidentially and come up with ideas for new initiatives.