Foreign minister Elina Valtonen met the US Foreign Minister Marco Rubion Washington on Thursday.
According to YLE News, Valtonen and Rubio had talked about, among other things, icebreakers, whose sales to the United States are progressing in negotiations.
Previously Reuters reported that president Donald Trump Congress would be promising that the United States could buy large ships from abroad until their own shipbuilding industry is repaired.
The barriers to trade to be dismantled
Before the meeting, Valtonen gave an interview on the CBS news channel. The interview asked, among other things, the duties and NATO.
According to Valtonen, Donald Trump’s decision to take the import duties for 90 days was excellent news.
“We need to take this opportunity and see if we could find a better solution between Europe and the United States through the negotiations than we have started,” Valtonen said.
According to Valtonen, the barriers to trade should be reduced on both sides of the Atlantic. “We need more a market economy that enables you to become prosperous and we can defend yourself against threats,” Valtonen said.
According to Valtonen, negotiations also need to look at barriers to trade other than customs and VAT. One of them is regulation. According to Valtonen, regulation in Europe has gone too far and therefore the European economy has not increased as much as the United States.
“It doesn’t hurt only Americans. It primarily harm us Europeans,” Valtonen said.
According to Valtonen, the European Commission has set its goal to get rid of bureaucracy and reduce regulation.
“I’m not worried about NATO”
According to Valtonen, NATO is now stronger than ever, referring to, among other things, how the European States of the Alliance have doubled their defense since Trump was last in office.
“I’m not worried about the bonding of the US administration in NATO. Europe has to do more and we will do,” Valtonen said.