Finnish-Russian relations under strain during OSCE Chairmanship

Cancelled military visits, complaints of Finnish decisions

print this

The colder winds that have been blowing in relations between Russia and the West also extend to relations between Finland and Russia.
      Russia has cancelled at least two visits by military officers since August, and the Russians have criticised Finnish actions during Finland’s turn holding the Chairmanship of the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe.
     
However, Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) vehemently denies that the Finnish OSCE Chairmanship-in-Office would have weakened Finland’s relations with Russia.
      “In fact, it has had a positive effect. It is partly thanks to us that the position of the OSCE has grown stronger in Russia’s eyes”, Stubb said on Monday.
      Finland’s turn at the helm of the OSCE gave the country a conspicuous role in negotiations for a ceasefire between Georgia and Russia after the war which broke out on August 9th. Stubb, who is responsible for issues related with the Chairmanship, visited Georgia twice after the war broke out.
     
In negotiations held at OSCE headquarters in Vienna throughout the autumn, Finland tried to get Georgia and Russia to agree on the operations of military observers in the territory of the province of South Ossetia, but without success.
      Russia is accusing Finland, the OSCE Chairman, of cutting off the talks.
      Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov lashed out at both the OSCE and the EU in mid-September, accusing them of playing “an ideological and political game” in the negotiations on the area of operations of the observers.
      At about the same time there was criticism in Moscow of the choice of a new head of the OSCE’s Kosovo operation.
      Austrian diplomat Werner Almhofer was named to the post, under a decision by the Chairman. The protests got some media attention in Russia, but they did not lead to practical action.
      However, there have been slight problems with programming of visits to Finland by Russian officers.
      A planned visit to Finland by one of the leading figures of the Russian General Staff, Lieutenant-General Alexandr Burutsin, was cancelled in August when the war in Georgia broke out.
      In late September two Russian officers failed to attend an inspection visit to the Lapland wing of the Finnish Air Force, under OSCE agreements. No cause was announced.
     
Russia’s protests over the breakdown of OSCE negotiations are normal in international relations, in Stubb’s view. He says that there is a tendency to be overly sensitive about such things in Finland.
      Russia has clearly not wanted to put too much emphasis on its protests.
      Lavrov met with Stubb in New York during the UN General Assembly. At that time it came out that Russia had refused to meet with Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who chairs the Council of Europe.
      According to various sources at the General Assembly, Lavrov tried to influence the speech made by Stubb as OSCE leader.
      However, against Russian wishes, the speech also touched upon Georgia. Russia did not voice any protests.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Vanhanen: Strong support for Georgia but no sanctions against Russia (1.9.2008)
  Finnish EU observers start work in Georgia (3.10.2008)
  Russia´s new foreign policy (28.9.2008)

Links:
  Swedish Foreign Minister sees Russia moving away from European values (22.9.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat