Finland Times

 

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday indicated that he has found common ground on the EU immigration issue in his meeting in Helsinki with Nordic and Baltic prime ministers, reported Xinhua.

Cameron would like to restrict the currently free movement of labor to the UK from other EU countries.

Talking to media in Helsinki, Cameron said "all countries around the table" were of the opinion that the issues should be reviewed.

Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said that "if Britain has worries, we must listen."

Stubb described Britain as "the most international country" in the world and said that Britain should be given "a medal for opening its borders to EU immigrants in 2004."

Cameron maintained his criticism against a planned EU 2.1 billion euros surcharge levied on Britain.

He made a statement in October that he was not intending to pay the money in early December, and said that it "would not be right to pay such a sum."

The formal framework for the visit by Cameron to Finland was a seminar "Northern Future Forum." At present were premiers from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

On the seminar theme Cameron said it was important to discuss innovations and the problem "why we are not able to create same kind of risk investment capital as the United States."

Prior to the visit some analysts had noted Cameron really did not belong to the "group and the theme," but said the British prime minister went to Helsinki to get allies on the EU issues.

However, Cameron is one of the initiators of the series of seminars. The first had been arranged in London. 

News Agency STT adds: Prime Ministers of the Nordic countries, the United Kingdom and Baltic countries on Friday afternoon gathered to deliberate on sustainable education and innovative business activities  at Otaniemi in Espoo.

Prime Minister Alexander who hosted the two-day Northern Future Forum said that all the Prime Ministers, invited to the forum had arrived except Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

Löfven was represented by Kristina Persson, the Swedish  Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Minister for Strategic Development.

Speaking at the press conference Cameron said he will keep his promise that will see the UK hold a referendum on its membership in the EU, if his party stays in power after next spring general election.

However, Cameron emphasised that the referendum expected by the end of 2017 will be preceded by renegotiation between EU and UK on membership conditions.