Will Norway give Finland a mountain peak?
The Norwegian municipality of Kåfjord has proposed giving the summit of Mount Halti to Finland to mark the 100th anniversary of Finnish independence. This would mean shifting the border between the two countries by 40 metres. Finnish media praise the proposal as a wonderful gesture that would serve as a symbol of peace and understanding among nations.
A wonderful symbol of peace
While Norway can easily spare the Halti summit, for Finland this gift would be of enormous symbolic significance, Keskisuomalainen notes:
“In Norway the proposal was justified with the argument that it would be a 'wonderful gift for our sister nation'. And it would indeed be a unique gift because they're not making land anymore and at these altitudes it holds far greater symbolic value for Finland than for Norway, where Northern Europe's highest mountains lie. Norway, too, would benefit from this gift. It would send a message to the whole world that borders can be changed peacefully and that good neighbourly relations are better than bad ones.”
A positive example for the world
Norway's gift of the Halti summit could show the world that territorial conflicts can also be resolved peacefully, Ilkka believes:
“The gift of the Halti summit would revive the traditional Northern European culture of gift-giving. Finland is unlikey to have anything against the idea. By making a gift of the mountain the municipality of Kåfjord is setting an example to the world of how territorial conflicts can be resolved. Even if the summit of Halti was never subject to dispute. It would mean a lot more to Finland to own it that it does Norway. Hopefully the suggestion of the municipality of Kåfjord will receive the backing of the Norwegian government.”