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Former Finnish PM welcomes Russian initiative to hold security talks with nearby countries

Xinhua, August 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Matti Vanhanen, former Finnish prime minister and a key foreign policy thinker in the Finnish Center Party, said on Wednesday that security talks concerning the Baltic sea area and vicinity of Russia would not be a problem to Finland.

Vanhanen made the remarks to media following a Russian initiative to invite countries including Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden and Finland for consultations in Moscow in September. Poland and the Baltic countries are NATO members, whereas Sweden and Finland are enhanced partners with NATO.

Vanhanen said he could well imagine that such a separate discussion outside a bigger context could cause hesitation in the West. But Vanhanen called for an approach without prejudice towards the talks and said the discussion among countries in the area would not be a problem to Finland.

Media reports have envisioned possible solutions on easing the situation in the Baltic area. Vanhanen said once measures to increase stability have been reached in the Baltic Sea area, joint attention will then be directed to Ukrainian and Syrian crises and the anti-terrorism campaign.

Vanhanen said Finland should consider scaling down the imposing profile of its 2017 military exercises, even if the slightest confidence building measures are reached for the Baltic. "Finland should do that outside the context of the possible Moscow talks," Vanhanen said.

Vanhanen admitted that Finland and the three Baltic countries have what he described as "allergy to military consultations". But he warned against seeking analogues from history.

Vanhanen was believed to refer to the case in 1939 when the Soviet Union (USSR) invited Finland and the Baltics for consultations in Moscow. In the talks, the Baltic countries accepted the establishment of Soviet bases, but Finland refused and a war broke out between Finland and the USSR in late 1939.

Vanhanen said the latest Russian initiative reported in media was likely part of a bigger effort. "They must have a further vision connected with their thinking of the European security architecture," he said.

A key person on foreign policy of the ruling Center Party, Vanhanen has on several occasions underlined the need for restraint. He is also the centrist presidential candidate for the 2018 election. Endit