H.K.H. Kronprinsessans tal vid Nordic Arctic Day på Expo 2025

It is a great pleasure to join you for Arctic Day here at the Nordic Pavilion.

In 2005, I had the honour of inaugurating the Swedish National Day at the World Expo in Aichi. Today, twenty years later, I have the privilege of closing Sweden’s participation at the Expo here in Osaka.

The Nordic Pavilion is a powerful symbol of what our countries – Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland – can achieve together.

Through this joint initiative, our governments, our businesses, and our innovators have built a platform to showcase creativity, cooperation, and commitment – the Nordic way.

Just yesterday, I took part in the annual Sweden–Japan Sustainability Summit. There, I witnessed how our companies are working side by side in advancing sustainability and the green transition within our own borders, but also far beyond them.

That same spirit of collaboration is essential when it comes to one of the most critical regions for our planet: the Arctic.

The Arctic matters – not only to those who live in the high North, but to all of us. Its climate and ecosystems influence global weather patterns, regulate ocean currents, and even make life in our Nordic countries more temperate and livable.

Yet it is also among the most vulnerable regions on earth.

The rapid warming of the Arctic is a stark reminder that the consequences of climate change are no longer distant, they are here, and they are accelerating.

More than 15 years ago, I had the opportunity to take part in two unforgettable expeditions together with the now King of Denmark and the Crown Prince of Norway, In 2008 to Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean, and 2009 to Greenland. Side by side with scientists, we met local communities, listened to their stories, and witnessed the scale of change unfolding before our eyes.

Out there on the ice, surrounded by endless light and silence, it became evident just how fragile our polar regions are, and how deeply our shared future depends on cooperation.

During later visits, I was struck by how much the landscape had changed. One true eye opener came when we saw a peninsula that had shrunk into a small headland, due to melting ice. What scientists had long warned about was no longer a prediction, it had become reality.

But the Arctic is not only a place of challenge, it is a place of hope. The growing efforts in Nordic polar research and international collaboration give us reason to believe that science and partnership can turn knowledge into action.

Earlier this summer, I participated in discussions on how to support and fund Arctic research and important subsea connectivity. These discussions took part on board the Swedish research icebreaker Oden – a vessel that I am deeply proud of. The ship is not only a platform for world-class science but also represents Sweden’s outstanding technical expertise in areas such as ice management and seabed mapping of unexplored polar regions.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Arctic is a fragile environment of global importance, a mirror reflecting both the beauty and the vulnerability of our planet.

It connects us all. And it calls on us to act - together.

Here in Osaka, I hope that we, the Nordic countries, can further strengthen our cooperation and deepen our knowledge with Japan in Arctic research. It is important – not only for us in the North – but for the entire world. Let us ensure that this unique region continues to be a source of life, and inspiration for generations to come.

Thank you.