Finnish Foreign Minister invites Rice to Finland

Kanerva: "Presidents and countries need to update relations"

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Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva (Nat. Coalition Party) told reporters on Monday that United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hopes to visit Finland possibly as early as the coming August. She also hopes to persuade President George W. Bush to allow a long-awaited visit to the White House by Finnish President Tarja Halonen.
      Kanerva made his comments after meeting with Rice in Washington on Monday. The Foreign Minister appeared to be in good spirits during the brief press conference, praising the "good discussions" that the two had at their meeting, which stretched longer than expected.
      The meeting of Kanerva and Rice and the announcement of possible new meetings was in sharp contrast with the situation with the previous government, when it was speculated that factors such as the person of Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja might be a problem for relations between Finland and the United States.
     
Helsingin Sanomat reported on Sunday that Finnish leaders were at the tail end of visits from European countries to the White House.
      The US Ambassador to Finland, Marylin Ware, who briefly stood next to Kanerva, said that the smiles on the faces of Kanerva and Rice indicated that talk about problems in relations between Finland and the United States are groundless.
      Kanerva said that Rice would check her schedule to see if she might arrive in Finland already in mid-August, when Kanerva hosts a joint meeting of the Nordic and Baltic Countries.
      The visit might not take place at that time, because "one might guess that her calendar is not one of the easiest ones", Kanerva said.
     
The Foreign Minister also said that he had made efforts on behalf of a visit by President Halonen to the United States.
      "I said that Rice might give her positive input on this, and Secretary of State Rice said that she would do everything possible with her administration so that this visit might be carried out as flexibly as possible."
      According to Kanerva, it is important for the presidents and the countries to "update their relations", now that both Bush and Halonen are in their second and last terms in office.
      Halonen visited the White House in 2002.
     
As for the actual meeting, Kanerva said that she had discussed "all significant questions of international politics".
      He noted that Finland and the United States have largely similar views on solutions to the Kosovo situation.
      Kanerva and Rice also examined issues linked with the Presidency of the Organisation on Security and Cooperation in Europe, which Finland takes on next year. Kanerva described the task as "exceptionally demanding and exceptionally difficult", for Finland.
      Kanerva said that Finland and the United States have similar views on Russia. Both feel that cooperation is necessary, and that it is important not to turn backs toward Russia.
      "Finland has a very important role in understanding Russia and its development, and to interpret that understanding into European languages, as it were", Kanerva explained.
     
Kanerva told Helsingin Sanomat that there was no discussion about abuses linked with the US fight against terrorism, such as torture, and secret rendition flights of the Central Intelligence Agency. However, he did mention European human rights concerns, but the tight agenda left no time for the discussion of details.
      On the heavily criticised actions of the United States, Kanerva noted "Perhaps a separate interview should be made".
      MP Kimmo Kiljunen (SDP) said that he had hoped that Iraq and human rights issues might have come up.
      Critical comments on these matters by Halonen and Tuomioja had been seen as reasons why the Bush administration has taken a dim view of the President and former Foreign Minister.
      When asked to give an example of the positive aspects of Finnish-US relations, Kanerva mentioned the mediation efforts of former President Martti Ahtisaari in the Kosovo conflict.
      "If Finland seeks, with Ahtisaari as an example, to work hard to carry through the Kosovo project, then it will not succeed if we are not well on the same map with the United States."


Previously in HS International Edition:
  US Embassy official transferred to Iraq after criticising political appointees (18.5.2007)
  Bush rejects Halonen request for meeting (15.5.2007)
  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)
  Finns increasingly critical of EU, NATO, USA, and immigration (9.1.2007)
  US representative says relations with Finland are in order (9.10.2006)
  President Halonen criticises proposed US terror legislation (23.9.2006)

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