PM Vanhanen to discuss Russian airspace violations in Moscow today

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Russia had not provided any further oral or written information on the violation of Finnish airspace by Monday evening. This means that the issue of repeated incursions into Finnish airspace by Russian military planes flying over the Gulf of Finland is moving to the political level.
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen is in Moscow today, Tuesday, on a one-day visit. He is expected to discuss the issue of territorial violations in discussions with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Vanhanen has been provided with the necessary documents for the discussion.
     
Vanhanen and Fradkov will hold bilateral discussions, and they will also take part in negotiations between various delegations.
      Last week Vanhanen said that he had hoped that the airspace violations could have been cleared up before the visit.
      Russia gave an oral response to a Finnish note on the airspace violations over a week ago, but the response did not satisfy the Finnish government. Russia only admitted between the lines that incursions might have taken place.
      The focus of the Prime Minister’s visit was to have been on economic and trade issues, such as the lease agreement on the Saimaa Canal, problems experienced by companies involved in trade, encouraging Russia to join in the planning of the next phase of the EU’s Northern Dimension, cooperation among adjacent areas, and sundry matters concerning energy and forestry.
     
Discussions are also expected on relations between Russia and the EU, as well as the goals of Finland’s EU presidency in the second half of next year.
      Prime Minister Vanhanen will be accompanied by an exceptionally heavyweight delegation, which includes three other ministers: Environment Minister Jan-Erik Enestam, Trade and Development Minister Paula Lehtomäki, and Transport and Communications Minister Leena Luhtanen.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Russia officially denies - and tacitly admits - airspace violations (2.6.2005)
  Finland demands end to Russian violations of Finnish airspace (1.6.2005)
  PM Vanhanen sees airspace violations as bilateral issue between Finland and Russia (23.5.2005)
  PM Vanhanen to protest violations of Finnish air space by Russian war planes (20.5.2005)

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