Presidents Halonen and Putin underline good relations in St. Petersburg

Putin does not mention recent Russian criticism of Finland

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Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Russian President Vladimir Putin have given assurances that relations between the two countries are in good shape. The two met in St. Petersburg on Tuesday.
      President Putin said that relations between the neighbouring
      countries were undergoing "dynamic" development.
      "It is excellent that neighbours can cooperate so well together", President Halonen said. She also invited Putin to visit Finland.
      "We hope that Finland will continue to make its own positive contribution to the development of the partnership between Russia and the European Union", Putin told reporters at a press conference held after the meeting in the Konstantin Palace.
     
The meeting of the two presidents took place in the aftermath of a politically stormy autumn. Relations between Russia and the European Union have cooled, especially in the wake of the election crisis in Ukraine, and critical comments from Russian foreign policy officials have also targeted Finland.
      "I do not want to comment on what my subordinates say", Putin said. "If you are interested in the opinions of Russians, especially those of high-ranking officials, please ask them. They are quite open."
      Putin compared relations between the neighbouring countries to those that exist within a family, where "issues and questions of different kinds always emerge. What is most important is how the problems are solved", the Russian President said, adding that it would be better to focus on economic issues.
      Putin brought up the high cost of Russian imported electricity. Halonen mentioned the high fees charged by Russian railways.
      Both emphasised the opportunities offered by the EU's Northern Dimension programme.
     
The issue of mandatory visas for travel between the EU and Russia came up on Tuesday, as expected. In the EU, Finland has opposed lifting the requirement, at least in the short term.
      "We want to solve the issue with the whole EU, and not destroy the membership principle", Putin said.
      The two presidents had differences on the issue of the rights of Russians living in the Baltic States. In Halonen's view, the status of Russians living in the Baltic region meets the standards of the EU.
      Putin, meanwhile, pointed out that people who have followed the issue in the Organisation on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and in the European Parliament, have noted that there are problems.
     
Before the visit Halonen had discussed possible issues that might come up during the visit with Jan Peter Balkenden,  the Prime Minister of The Netherlands, which holds the EU Presidency.
      Balkenden had chaired the summit meeting between Russia and the EU in The Hague in November. That meeting was considered something of a disappointment.
     
From St. Petersburg, President Halonen continued to Strasbourg to attend the opening of the Roma Forum of the Council of Europe, after which she goes on to Bosnia and Kosovo to acquaint herself with crisis management and peacekeeping operations there.
      From the Balkans, the President will proceed to Brussels to attend the EU summit, where discussions are expected to touch upon the issue of Turkey's membership in the EU.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Foreign Minister Tuomioja says letter from MEPs may have provoked Russia (10.12.2004)
  Vanhanen criticises Putin spokesman for "sphere of influence" thinking (9.12.2004)
  Presidents Halonen and Putin to meet in St. Petersburg on Tuesday (8.12.2004)
  Putin spokesman says Finland part of "Russophobic block" in EU (8.12.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat