Brandenburg and Uusimaa as well as Berlin and Hamburg will deepen their cooperation in transport, spatial development and other strategic fields.
The German State of Brandenburg and the Finnish Capital Region of Helsinki-Uusimaa concluded a joint declaration on deepening their interregional co-operation in the Baltic Sea Region. The German and the Finnish Capital regions are both founding members of the Scandria Alliance.
The declaration was signed by Brandenburg’s Minister of Finance and European Affairs, Katrin Lange, and the Regional Mayor of Helsinki-Uusimaa Region, Tuija Telén, in Potsdam, Germany on 13 June 2024. Tuija Telén is also vice chair of the Scandria Alliance.
Tuija Telén, Regional Mayor of Helsinki-Uusimaa: “The Joint Declaration is an important step in the long-standing cooperation between Brandenburg and Uusimaa. I see Germany as a very important partner in increasing the competitiveness of the Baltic Sea region.”
Katrin Lange, Brandenburg’s Minister of Finance and European Affairs: “Both sides […] showed great interest in deepening cooperation […] – especially in light of the geopolitical situation with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. We quickly agreed that we wanted to conclude such an agreement on cooperation. I am very confident that the declaration that has now been signed will give the cooperation an additional boost – our interest in it is great.”
Alongside other topics such as innovation and university co-operation, the declaration also refers to the fields of spatial development and transport and mentions the Scandria Alliance as a platform to deepen the co-operation between the two regions in this field.
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Berlin and Hamburg concluded a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which focuses on a strategic cooperation in the field of public transport. The aim of the MoU is to pool the expertise of transport companies, associations and administrations in Berlin and Hamburg in order to work together on sustainable solutions for the future.
The MoU was signed by Ute Bonde, Berlin’s Senator for Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment, and Anjes Tjarks, Hamburg’s Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition, in Berlin on 26 June 2024.
Ute Bonde, Berlin’s Senator for Mobility, Transport, Climate Action and the Environment: “Thinking outside the box and moving issues forward together are very important to me personally. I am delighted that we are moving forward together as city states with similar challenges.”
Anjes Tjarks, Hamburg’s Senator for Transport and Mobility Transition: “In Hamburg and Berlin, several million passengers use public transport every working day. Both cities have a large network of high-speed rail and bus connections and are working on expanding their services in the face of increasing demand and connecting the metropolitan regions even better to the urban centre. With their strategic partnership, both city states want to share their experiences, create synergies and develop joint projects – for example in the development of autonomous transport, the optimisation of bus punctuality through digitalisation or the development of apps that can provide even better support for people with limited mobility on buses and trains.”
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