ASEM

Ninety dark blue Volvos available for ASEM participants

Some heads-of-state have armoured vehicles at their disposal

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Dozens of new Volvo models have been reserved for the use of the participants of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) to be held in Helsinki on Sunday and Monday. "This is no rush, it's panic", says Martti Ruokokoski who is in charge of the transport arrangements for VIPs during Finland's EU Presidency term. Cars pass in and out of the depot on Hernesaari at a prolific rate, and the car-wash people are working nineteen to the dozen.
      Finland will host a large number of meetings in the course of July through December, with the ASEM being the largest meeting at the head of state or head of government level.
     
The ASEM participants will be ferried around in armour-plated cars, Volvo limousines, Renault minibuses, and coaches. The total number of vehicles is around 180.
      A total of 82 Volvo S80s are available to carry ministers and government leaders, and another ten will be on hand during the ASEM meeting. The delegations will be transported with 40 minibuses and a couple of dozen coaches. In addition, the police will use 30 Volvo XC-90 SUVs as security cars.
     
None of the cars are black. The sedans and SUVs are dark blue, while some of the minibuses are in grey livery.
      The cars have no special equipment, though all the Volvos have leather upholstery and some have V-8 engines turning out over 300 bhp.
      During the ASEM meeting, the cars will typically drive in motorcades with police cars in front of and behind the other vehicles. A VIP car will drive behind the first police vehicle, followed by a security car, the cars of ministers, and the vehicles carrying the various delegations, Ruokokoski reports.
      The cars will be returned to the importer at the end of the year. "All cars have already been sold to the dealers, and even some of them have sold some cars on", says Director Kari Seuna from Volvo Finland.
     
Neither the police nor the ASEM organisers wish to give any information on the armoured vehicles. "Such vehicles are available", admits deputy police chief Jari Liukku from the Helsinki Police Department. "Basically, these kinds of vehicles are the responsibility of the Security Police (SUPO)." SUPO is even more cagey about giving details, for obvious reasons.
      In Finland, at least President Tarja Halonen, Speaker of Parliament Paavo Lipponen, and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen all have an armour-plated limousine with a chauffeur at their disposal. While Halonen and Lipponen travel in Mercedes Benz S600L models, Vanhanen uses a modified BMW.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Stringent security measures to be put in place for ASEM summit (5.9.2006)
  ASEM summit to bring millions of euros to Helsinki (27.9.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat