Finland will celebrate its 100 years anniversary as an independent state next year and the Council of Aldermen in Kåfjord believes that Norway should give Finland a mountaintop gift. The Prime Minister is now considering the issue.
Mount Halti is Finland’s highest mountain and is at the modest (by Norwegian standards) height of 1324 meters above sea level. But the mountain is on the border between Norway and Finland, and the peak at 1,361 meters above sea level is located on the Norwegian side.
The proposal by the Presidency in Kåfjord municipality caused a stir when it became known earlier this year. The municipality wants to move the border 40 meters so that the whole mountain will be located at the Finnish side of the border. Then, Finland boasts of having a peak projecting another 37 meters above sea level. An appropriate 100th birthday gift, Kåfjord municipality thinks.
Michael Tetzschner , Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, said in March that he would never consider supporting “such a demented scheme”, while the State Department thought it was against the the Constitution.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg now confirms to TV2 that the government has received the proposal for consideration.
– There is some formal challenges and difficulties to accepting the proposal and I stilll haven’t made my mind up whether I want to support this. But we will look into the issue, the Prime Minister said.
Halti is a popular place for hiking, especially on the Norwegian side of the border.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
