General: Finland was afraid to respond to events in Georgia

Prime Minister was in Beijing, no action was taken in Finland

Matti Ahola

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Lieutenant-General Matti Ahola, the former Permanent Secretary at the Finnish Ministry of Defence, has severely criticised Finland’s state leadership for the fact that it took three weeks for Finland to voice an opinion regarding the August war between Russia and Georgia.
      Ahola suspects the reason for the delay was Russia.
     
"Finland did not dare, or - in practice - was unable to respond to the matter, as reasonably could have been expected and had been rehearsed”, Ahola says in an interview published, among others, by the Central Finland daily Keskisuomalainen.
      Ahola refers to the strategy of securing the society’s vital functions acknowledged by the state leadership. According to the strategy the Finnish leadership’s stand in crisis situations should be made known within 24 hours.
     
According to Ahola, the President, the Prime Minister, the government, and the government’s foreign and security policy committee (UTVA) have rehearsed the process defined in the strategy “countless times”.
      According to what has been agreed on, an UTVA meeting is to be held immediately for the purpose of formulating Finland’s official stand.
      In connection with the war in Georgia this did not happen. One reason was that Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) was at the Beijing Olympics at the time.
     
But the Prime Minister’s journey abroad is not enough to explain why “no actions were taken back home”, Ahola points out.
      Ahola offers the reminder that the Prime Minister’s deputy could also have summoned an UTVA meeting.
      “Had the UTVA meeting been held, then Finland’s stand on the issue also would have been formulated. Forming an opinion was avoided deliberately, as Russia was in question”, Ahola says. “This stigmatises Finland.”


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Vanhanen and Stubb criticise Russian military action in Georgia (26.8.2008)
  Vanhanen: South Ossetia crisis will affect next national defence report (19.8.2008)
  Georgia: Stubb´s marathon sprint (19.8.2008)
  COMMENTARY Three plates, three different opinions (2.9.2008)

See also:
  Politicians: Finnish policy unaffected by Caucasus crisis (13.8.2008)
  President Halonen told in advance of Russian decision to recognise breakaway areas (27.8.2008)

Links:
  Government press release: Finland hopes for a common EU position on the crisis in Georgia, 29.8.2008
  Speech by Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb to Finnish heads of mission, 25.8.2008

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