Bush rejects Halonen request for meeting

US President found time for Swedish PM

Tarja Halonen

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The United States has declined a Finnish request for a meeting between President Tarja Halonen and US President George W. Bush this week.
      At the same time, a meeting was arranged with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, who is scheduled to meet Bush today, Tuesday.
     
According to the office of the President, Finland had asked about the possibility of a meeting with the US President during Halonen's visit to the United States. The request was turned down for scheduling reasons.
      Scheduling problems are routinely invoked in international diplomacy to turn down a proposed meeting.
      President Halonen travels to the United States on Wednesday to attend the Annual Gala Dinner of the American Scandinavian Foundation. The Nordic Countries take turns sending a leader to attend the event, and this year is Finland's turn.
      In New York Halonen meets with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon as well as representatives of US research institutes, says the President's office in a statement issued on Monday.
     
Swedish Prime Minister and conservative leader Reinfeldt travelled to the United States on Sunday and like Halonen, he began his programme with a meeting with Ban Ki-Moon in New York.
      Reinfeldt says that the main theme of his Tuesday meeting with President Bush is climate policy. The same topic will take Reinfeldt to California, where he meets with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday.
      Reinfeldt said in an interview with the Swedish news agency TT that his aim was to get a better understanding of the US strategy against climate change.
      Speaking to Swedish journalists in New York, Reinfeldt denied that he was an ideological partner of Bush and said that he disagrees with him on matters such as the death penalty and abortion.
     
US leaders also met with representatives of the Swedish government more frequently than those of Finland also when the Social Democrats were in power in that country under the leadership of Göran Persson.
      Both Finland and the United States have denied that the infrequency of meetings between Finnish and American leaders is an indication of problems in relations between the two countries.
      Halonen met with President Bush during a working visit to the USA in 2002. After that bilateral meeting, the two have met only in connection with international gatherings.
      US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has invited Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva for a visit to Washington. The exact date of the visit remains open, but the Foreign Ministry says that the aim is that it should take place during the summer.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Foreign Ministry official says relations with USA are in good shape (15.1.2007)
  On keeping up good relations with the U.S. (14.5.2006)
  Prime Minister admits to "moderately long" gap in high level USA visits (15.5.2006)

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