ASEM
President Halonen in TV interview: No problem in ties with USA
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There are no problems in Finland's relations with the United States, said President Tarja Halonen in a television interview aired on Saturday morning.
The matter came up when the interviewer pointed out that US President George W. Bush will visit the Estonian capital Tallinn in November, but not Helsinki, and that Halonen has not received an invitation to the White House.
As Halonen sees it, Bush's visit to Tallinn, and the fact that it does not extend to Finland, do not suggest that there are any problems in relations between the USA and Finland in this respect.
In the President's view, all of Bush's visits and meetings have a reason of some kind, and that it is natural for Bush to visit countries that were part of the Iraq war coalition. She also notes that Estonia's past makes the country an interesting destination for Bush.
"I am quite happy that nobody has to come here to celebrate that we have been freed from the yoke of communism", Halonen said.
"I have no knowledge of any problems in relations between Finland and the USA", the President added.
On domestic politics, Halonen said that the distribution of work between the President and Prime Minister is working well, "even though some might wish it were otherwise".
Halonen said that there is "constant" confusion of legal and political issues in Finland, when seeking interpretations for the new constitution. She said that she hopes that debate on interpretation of the Finnish constitution would not hamper the ASEM summit.
"I must say with a twinkle in my eye that the ASEM summit has not been organised just so that we might bench-test how our constitution operates", Halonen commented.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 11.9.2006 - TODAY |
 President Halonen in TV interview: No problem in ties with USA
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