Lehtomäki leaves for South America, explains cancellation of Argentina visit

Business delegation to go to Buenos Aires without minister

Paula Lehtomäki

print this

"You don’t hold discussions by taking a minister to a hotel and leaving her there", is how Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade Paula Lehtomäki (Centre) explained her decision to cancel her planned visit to Argentina.
      Lehtomäki left on a trip to South America on Monday with a Finnish business delegation. She will visit Uruguay, Chile, and Peru. According to the original plan, she was to have visited Argentina as well, but the dispute between Argentina and Uruguay over the Metsä-Botnia pulp mill being built in Uruguay led to a change in the plans.
      Lehtomäki said that travel preparations with Argentina did not go well.
      "If the purpose would have been to hold discussions with a representative of the Finnish government, it should have been seen in some way", she said. "We have had great difficulties in getting confirmation for any meetings in Argentina." She added that usually the programme is prepared well before a trip.
     
Lehtomäki reiterated the view that Finland is not a party to the pulp mill dispute between Argentina and Uruguay. She also said that the fact that she is visiting Uruguay should not be construed as taking a stand on behalf of one of the sides in the dispute.
      "I visit countries that want to hold discussions with me. There were considerable reasons to interpret the situation in such a way that this guest was not welcome in Argentina", Lehtomäki says.
     
Argentina will not be completely rejected, however, as Matti Pullinen, an official of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, will accompany the business delegation to Argentina. He is scheduled to speak at a business seminar.
      "We have asked for meetings at various ministries. However, it remains a question mark, whether or not they will take place. I will not make any predictions", Pullinen says.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  European Union backs Metsä-Botnia in pulp mill dispute with Argentina (21.4.2006)
  Argentine president appeals to Finnish government in pulp mill dispute (20.4.2006)
  Pulp mill dispute between Argentina and Uruguay intensifies (12.4.2006)
  Botnia pulp factory centre of dispute between Argentina and Uruguay (10.1.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat