Finn named as new UN envoy for Georgia

New special representative Antti Turunen says small steps needed for peace in South Caucasus

Antti Turunen

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Finnish diplomat Antti Turunen has been named the new Representative for Georgia of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, replacing Johan Verbeke of Belgium.
      Turunen is taking a cautious view of future events in the area: he does not expect a rapid solution to the conflict.
      “First of all, many steps are needed between Georgia and Russia before we can talk about a normalised situation”, Turunen said at a press conference in Helsinki on Monday.
     
Turunen’s appointment makes him the highest-ranking Finn in a UN job. His base of operations will be Geneva.
      Finns who have held offices of equal stature include Martti Ahtisaari, who was the special envoy for Namibia, and Elisabeth Rehn, who represented the UN Secretary General in the former Yugoslavia.
      Turunen currently holds the post of Finnish Ambassador to the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The appointment stems from the brief war between Georgia and Russia in 2008. At that time Turunen served as the head of the Permanent Finnish Mission to the OSCE in Vienna.
     
As Finland held the presidency of the OSCE in that year, Turunen and Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) were able to follow the conflict resolution process from a front-row seat.
      Turunen feels that progress toward peace requires small steps.
      “We should go over the conflict, as it were, concentrating on the situation today, and on concrete questions of cooperation”, Turunen said, describing the process aimed at stabilising the situation.
      “I think that there are many matters that Finland has gone through many times in its own relationship with Russia.”
     
Foreign Minister Stubb sees the appointment as an indication of confidence in Finland.
      “The appointment will increase our visibility at the UN, and will not necessarily harm our aim at membership in the UN Security Council”, Stubb said.
      He added that Finland plans to offer its expertise in peace mediation in other areas as well.


See also:
  Tarja Halonen´s UN legacy (22.12.2009)

Links:
  Georgia: Stubb´s marathon sprint (17.8.2008)

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