Two Like-Minded Countries Met in Vaasa

The new Ambassador of the Netherlands to Finland, Mr. Simon van der Burg, visited Vaasa on November 11, to host the inauguration of the new Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in Vaasa, Ms. Inger Aaltonen. It was the ambassador’s first visit to the region since he presented his Credentials to Finnish President Alexander Stubb on September 30, 2025. Ambassador van der Burg met with City representatives and the Chamber of Commerce, visited Wärtsilä Smart Technology Hub as well as the University of Vaasa, where he met with the vice rectors as well as with some Dutch student. The key take away after the visit was co-creation. The Ambassador was impressed how smoothly all partners including the city, business community and all the knowledge institutions in the region collaborate.

Finland and the Netherlands are not just similar in that they are both huge coffee consumers and among the happiest countries in the world, but they also share strong diplomatic relations dating back to 1918, promoting political, economic, and cultural cooperation.

According to Ambassador van der Burg, Finland and the Netherlands are very like-minded on topics like budget discipline, competitiveness, climate change mitigation measures, or respect for the rule of law and human rights. They also work very closely together as member states within the European Union and as allies in NATO to support Ukraine.

Vaasa, being the Nordic Energy Capital with its unique energy cluster and recently the Winner of the EU Green Leaf award 2026, showcased its energy education initiatives and the close collaboration between the city, university, and the companies in the region. The Ambassador was particularly impressed by Vaasa’s energy education path and the close collaboration by all regional partners and noted similarities with Brainport Eindhoven in the Netherlands, where universities, residents, and companies work together to drive innovation. He also happily accepted to speak about the energy situation in the Netherlands during Energy Week 2026.

Both sides expressed concern about Talent retention and acknowledged the importance of creating opportunities to keep skilled individuals in the region. The Ambassador was impressed by Vaasa’s potential and asked at some point, “Why are people so happy in Vaasa?” A question that Mayor Tomas Häyry has answered many times.

A question was raised about the role of Diplomacy in helping Finnish and Dutch cities work together towards a waste-free future. Ambassador van der Burg replied that Finland and the Netherlands will continue working closely hand in hand as they have always done, to align their policies, investments, and partnerships towards a sustainable future.