Halonen discusses Chechen human rights with Medvedev

Prime Minister Putin holds unscheduled meeting with Halonen in Sochi

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The deterioration of the human rights situation in Chechnya in recent months was taken up by President Tarja Halonen in her discussions with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in Sochi on Tuesday.
      At a press conference held after the meeting, Halonen said that her message to Medvedev had been quite clear:
      “This cannot continue. What do you want? What can you do? The question was clear but the answer is more complicated”, Halonen said.
     
The July murder of Natalia Estemirova of the human rights organisation Memorial attracted extensive international attention. On Tuesday, the leader of an aid organisation and her husband were found murdered in Chechnya. Tuesday’s discussions between the Finnish and Russian presidents did not touch upon individual cases, focusing instead on the overall situation.
      Halonen described the discussion with Medvedev on Chechnya and human rights as candid, but that there was never any “eureka moment” in finding a solution.
      “There is a generation there that has grown up in conditions of armed violence”, Halonen said, commenting on the situation in Chechnya.
     
One positive aspect in the situation in Halonen’s view is that “Medvedev clearly seeks the rule of law”.
      She noted that this was not the first time that she took up human rights in discussions with Medvedev. However, information on what they actually talked about has not been made public before.
      Halonen discussed human rights on a regular basis with Medvedev’s predecessor, the current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
     
Halonen’s schedule in Sochi did not initially include a meeting with Prime Minister Putin, but such a meeting was arranged at Putin’s request.
      Halonen was not surprised at the turn of events.
      “I said when I came here that if Putin knows that I am here all day, he might ask if I have time to meet him.”
     
Halonen described her hour-long meeting with Putin as a time of “mutual contemplation”. Putin had shared his thoughts with Halonen on how Russia might try to improve cooperation with the European Union.
      “And I naturally was happy to speak on the European point of view, on why things are seen as they are. And I do believe that they (the Russians) themselves know the reason why.”
      She repeatedly said that she would not be a go-between for anyone.
      “But I like to listen. And sometimes I make comments.”
     
At the beginning of her visit Halonen met with Taimuraz Bolloyev, the director of the state-run company Olimpstroi, which is responsible for the construction of facilities for the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014. The meeting yielded good news for Finnish companies.
      “They are waiting for them in Sochi. One likely positive effect has been that the director of Olimpstroi has had dealings with the Finnish corporate world in St. Petersburg, and cooperation has worked well before.”


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Halonen to meet with Medvedev in Sochi (5.8.2009)
  President Medvedev promotes new security pact in Helsinki (21.4.2009)
  Finnish companies aspire to share in construction for Sochi Winter Olympics (18.3.2009)

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