Russia is a next-door neighbor of Finland, and it is a major issue for Helsinki to always support an open dialogue with Moscow, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Timo Soini, wrote in an op-ed to the Dagens Nyheter. In particular, the Minister said a stable Russia was in the interest of Finland, but at the same time there were growing concerns over the domestic situation in the Russian Federation, where the economy heavily depends on natural resources and civic society is discarded as mere pittance.

Finland also maintains unique relations with Sweden as both not only share common history but also the two were one state for many years. Such deep historic ties had an imprint on Finnish legislation and the statehood management system. “We will never forget the Swedish slogan during our wars “Finland is our concern,” Timo Soini wrote.

Because of Russia’s actions, Mr. Soini continued, beginning in 2014, Europe has found itself in a new political security situation. Under the current circumstances, close cooperation between Helsinki and Stockholm is more relevant than ever.
The future of European security rests on mutual agreements and cooperation and not on the force of arms and a dictator’s hand, the Minister said.
“We do not want the conflict in Ukraine to become the new norm,” Mr. Soini stressed.

But Russia is an immediate neighbor of Finland - a fact that is hard to ignore. “For a long time our approach to Russia was a combination of firm determination and dialogue. We stand firmly by our principles and at the same time always welcome an open discussion,” the Minister wrote.

At the same time, Timo Soini said there were reasons to worry about the current situation in Russia. “The economy of this country is based on a very unstable foundation as it depends on mineral fuel. Add to this the oppressed rule of law and weak civic society. A stable Russia is in our interests, but if the current tendencies remain, the prospects are far from optimistic,” the Minister said.

According to Mr. Soini, the new security situation has raised a number of difficult questions. Speaking about Finland, the Minister said his country has always maintained a healthy defense spending but also pursued a proactive foreign policy.
“The crisis in Ukraine forced us to rebuild a security and defense system in Europe. When trust is compromised it is hard to bring it back. And we must put a line here and state clearly: We will not accept a compromise at the expense of Ukraine or Europe - international law must be observed, no exceptions,” Mr. Soini emphasized.

 Both Finland and Sweden benefit from pursuing a unitary approach to security policy. Both countries are keenly focused on the ability of the EU to effectively address issues arising in this field, and particularly the ability to stand up to a military offensive.

“Both countries work in close cooperation with NATO. This cooperation that we call “29+2” is just what we need, as we share the same safety environment,” Mr. Soini explained.

As for the defense cooperation between Helsinki and Stockholm, though forged not long ago, it has already become a focal point in the dialogue between the two countries. In describing the nature of the cooperation between them, the Minister referred to his previous statements in which he repeatedly stated that there was no need to set boundaries or put a dividing line in the cooperation between Finland and Sweden as it was flowing naturally.

According to the Minister, Finland and Sweden have favorable conditions for mutual cooperation, sharing the same values and similar views on the mainstream of foreign policy.

“It is important that we go hand in hand in our foreign cooperation on such fundamental aspects of security as prevention of conflicts, upholding peace, stability, and a multi-polar international system. It is equally important that we try to exert influence over the United States policy, and I think we will be able to achieve results on this task if we act jointly as Nordic countries,” Timo Soini concluded.

  Finland, Russia

Comments