Interview with Kalle Kankaanpää, new Senior Arctic Official for Finland

October 20, 2025

Kalle Kankaanpää describes himself as a “man from the North”. With 27 years in Finland`s Foreign Service, much of it spent on regional cooperation in the North, he brings extensive experience to his new role. In this Q&A Kalle shares his background, what he looks forward to in his new role, and a few memorable Arctic moments.

What is your background? And how has it prepared you for your role as Senior Arctic Official?

I spent my school years in Rovaniemi, in Finnish Lapland, although my family is originally from Southern Finland. I also completed my military service in the Sodankylä garrison, over 100 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. So yes, I am what people in Finland call a “man from the North”. I know something about the cold.

I`ve been working in the Finnish Foreign Service for 27 years, much of it focused on regional cooperation in the North. I spent five years working on the Northern Dimension Policy and Baltic Sea cooperation, at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki and at the European External Action Service in Brussels. Later, I served as Head of Unit responsible for Arctic Policy during Finland`s most recent chairship of the Arctic Council in 2017-2019. I feel that this experience has prepared me well for my current task.

What aspects of your work with the Arctic Council are you most looking forward to?

I like multilateral diplomacy, and the Arctic community is known for being both friendly and welcoming. I`ve travelled extensively in the Arctic, but one place I haven`t yet visited is Svalbard. I hope I’ll have a chance to change that during my current appointment. I have several Sámi friends, and I find it very enriching to speak with indigenous people and learn more about their culture and daily life.

Why is the work of the Arctic Council important today?

The Arctic is receiving growing global attention. There are economic interests, security policy aspects, you name it. But for us, the Arctic is not just a strategic region. It`s home. That must be the starting point in any discussion about Arctic issues. This perspective is crucial for everyone living in the region, but especially for indigenous peoples, for whom the Arctic is not only their homeland, but their source of livelihood.

What are your main priorities as the Finnish Senior Arctic Official?

There is an urgent need for increased cooperation. Unfortunately, the challenging geopolitical situation has caused Arctic collaboration to become more limited. Still, Finland believes it`s essential to maintain stability and security in the region because the Arctic is our home. It`s not just an area of geopolitical interest. It´s where we live, work, raise our children, and spend our free time. We want the Arctic to be a secure place with lots of opportunities for sustainable development.

Promoting Finnish technologies and services specifically designed for Arctic conditions is one of our goals. Equally important is our collaboration with Indigenous peoples. We work closely with Indigenous organizations through the Arctic Council, including the Sámi Council and Sámi organizations in Finland.

Can you share a memorable Arctic moment or experience?

There have been many, but one that stands out is the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting held in Rovaniemi in May 2019. It was special for me personally; I returned to my hometown to organize an international meeting just one kilometer from my childhood home. I used to walk past the venue on my way to various sports practices as a kid.

I also served in the military in Sodankylä in Finnish Lapland, but I never really thought of it as “the Arctic”. It was just Lapland. Yes, the winters were cold and snowy, but it didn`t feel like something extraordinary. Years later I read news stories about winter exercises in Finland, where American soldiers described skiing through the Arctic night—from evening until morning. I realized I had done the exact same thing, but back then, I didn’t think of it as an Arctic experience. I guess the whole concept of “the Arctic” has become much more visible and widely understood in recent years. When I was growing up in Rovaniemi, it was just home.