Tarja Halonen receives the Swedbank Baltic Sea Award

The President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, has been honored with the Swedbank Baltic Sea Award 2008. The award was handed over by the CEO of Swedbank Jan Lidén at a gala dinner at the Baltic Development Forum Summit in Malmö on 1st of December.

It is the second year the Swedbank Baltic Sea Award is handed out. The award is assigned to an individual or organization that has made an extraordinary contribution to the development of the Baltic Sea Region.

- The Baltic Sea Region needs fiery spirits, individuals who believe that they through a personal and assiduous commitment can make the region stronger, better and sustainable. President Halonen has a longstanding record of focusing on the common good for the Baltic Sea Region, often stressing the fact that we all live in a common region, with common assets, common problems, and common solutions, said the CEO of Swedbank Jan Lidén upon handing over the award.

With her strong commitment for the Baltic Sea region President Halonen has inspired both political leaders and fellow citizens to take a common responsibility for this region.

President Halonen was appointed among several strong candidates by a jury consisting of the Prime Minister of Denmark Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Swedbank’s Executive Chairman Carl Eric Stålberg, and the Baltic Development Forum Chairman Uffe Ellemann-Jensen. The prize sum is €5,000.

The Baltic Sea Award 2007 was dedicated to Mr Björn Carlson, a financier with a great personal involvement in the Baltic Sea Region and also the funder of Baltic Sea 2020.


For further information:
Peter Nygårds, Head of Public Affairs, Swedbank, phone: +46 70 690 16 00
Helena Zimmerdahl Torgerson, Head of Media and Communications, BDF, phone: +45 2764 8076
Anna Sundblad, Press Manager, Swedbank, phone: +46 70 321 39 95