Finland – Its Strategic World Importance Today – and Why? (Changes in the Nordic Countries)

Ambassador Robert F. Pence

Topic: Finland – Its Strategic World Importance Today – and Why? (Changes in the Nordic Countries)
Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Place: Irondequoit Country Club: 4045 East Ave. [14618]
Time: 6:00 Reception; 7:00 Dinner; 8:00 Speaker Presentation
followed by Q and A
Cost: $50 per person – dinner and service charge. Cash Bar
Dinner: Buffet style – 2 protein options, 1 vegetarian option

***Registration Policy: RSVP via Email to Christine Grout at WACRContact@gmail.com. Mail your
check for the dinner[s] to: WACR, PO Box 25462, Rochester, NY 14625 no later than May 16, 2023.

Ambassador Robert Pence recently represented U.S. interests as Ambassador to Finland where he became deeply involved in its fascinating culture, history, and language. The Nordic nations are rarely in the world news, but shortly after Ambassador Pence’s arrival in Helsinki, President Trump and the US delegation, and President Putin and the Russian delegation, arrived for the 2018 Russia-United States summit, hosted by Finnish President Sauli Niinistö. A jolting start…and who knew Putin might soon have the Finns concerned about their 850 mile border with Russia?!

As the founder and Chairman of the Board of The Pence Group, a long established commercial real estate development company primarily involved in retail, hotel and office development, he has played a pivotal role in the sustainable development of Washington DC’s Virginia suburbs.

As an eternal student, he has earned multiple degrees – from the University of Maryland, American University, and Yale – including a B.A. two M.A.s in Renaissance Literature and Art, a JD, and a Master of Philosophy. He is a student of Italian, French, Latin and Greek and has lectured at Georgetown and Yale Universities.

Ambassador Pence has served on the Boards of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Wolf Trap Foundations, American University, George Mason University, and the Gary Sinise Foundation, a not-for -profit that serves our nations’ defenders and veterans.

Finland – Its Strategic World Importance Today – and Why?

Scandinavia is made up of the nations of the Scandinavian peninsula – Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Although Finland is NOT geographically considered a part of Scandinavia, partially due to its unique ethnicity and language, its global issues remain intertwined and culturally a part of Scandinavia. Perhaps more common today is the use of the term “Nordic” nations – which signifies the five sovereign states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

In the past many decades, the Nordic nations are rarely in the world news. Perhaps many of you are familiar with northern Europe as tourists – and have visited these beautiful, well-managed, rich, peaceful, democratic nations where excellent education, health care, industry and well-funded pensions prevail. However, President Putin’s aggression in Ukraine has had a wide impact on much of the rest of the free world, in particular, those nations that share a border with Russia. Both Norway and Finland share a border with Russia driving a rethinking of their policies and defense.

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