Ahtisaari reiterates support for Finnish NATO membership

Peace prize for former Finnish President major news worldwide

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Former President Martti Ahtisaari has once again reiterated his support for Finnish membership in NATO.
      Ahtisaari, who was announced as the winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, says that NATO membership would help Finland fulfil its tasks in peacekeeping.
      Ahtisaari was speaking on a radio interview programme on Saturday morning.
      Ahtisaari said that Finland should not become an “oddity” among Western countries, many of which are members of the alliance.
     
Meanwhile, the decision to award this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to former President Ahtisaari got much media attention over the weekend, especially in countries where Ahtisaari has played a role in peace mediation efforts.
      For instance, Indonesia’s most widely-read English language newspaper The Jakarta Post and the Namibian news agency Nampa both devoted considerable space to the news.
      In Britain, the BBC praised Ahtisaari’s role in the peace process in Northern Ireland. According to the BBC, news of the former President's award was received warmly in Finland, a country that has been overshadowed by two school shootings within a year.
     
Granting the prize to Ahtisaari was criticised in Serbia. The news sparked intense debate on the website of Serbia’s national broadcaster RTS. Some of the readers wondered why the prize should be given to a man who had “helped destroy the great state of Yugoslavia”.
      Ahtisaari was instrumental in bringing an end to the war over Kosovo in 1999, and led negotiations on the final status of Kosovo.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Ahtisaari calls Aceh treaty surprisingly successful on first anniversary (15.8.2006)
  Mediator Martti Ahtisaarís efforts receive full support from West in Kosovo talks (22.9.2006)
  Martti Ahtisaari wins 2008 Nobel Peace Prize (10.10.2008)

See also:
  Ex-President Ahtisaari doubts Russia would oppose Finnish NATO membership (10.9.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat