Foreign Minister Kanerva says no drama in Lavrov letter
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Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva says that there is nothing dramatic in the letter sent by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the European Union countries. Kanerva said at a press conference on Thursday that the letter mainly went over Russian views on how the country experienced the conflict that arose when Estonia moved the bronze statue of a Soviet soldier from the centre of the capital Tallinn.
Lavrov mentioned the points of view that had been made in public, for which reason Russia considered the matter a cause for concern from its own perspective.
In his letter, Lavrov also suggested that the foreign ministers of the EU countries might try to act in a way that would make the views of Russia the prevailing views in Estonia as well. Kanerva noted that there was nothing else that was significant in the letter, the existence of which was first reported on Thursday morning by the newspaper Turun Sanomat.
Germany, the current holder of the EU Presidency, has been responsible for the silent diplomacy that the EU has practiced in the dispute between Russia and Estonia over the bronze soldier monument.
In addition to Kanerva, Lavrov has sent a letter to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. However, Germany's Ambassador to Finland Hanns Schumacher said in Thursday's Turun Sanomat that the letter was "fairly severe" in its tone. Foreign Minister Steinmeier is expected to travel to Moscow next week.
Earlier this week Foreign Minister Kanerva defended the way that the Germans had dealt with the conflict.
Kanerva said on Tuesday that much had happened on the diplomatic front that had not been brought out in public. He felt that the impression according to which the EU is working slowly "as if it had the handbrake on", was erroneous.
"We know what happened in the Moscow-Tallinn-Berlin triangle. It is unfair to day that Germany was not on the move. I can assure you that it was", said Kanerva. In his view, the silent diplomacy chosen by Germany has proved to be the right decision.
Lavrov mentioned the points of view that had been made in public, for which reason Russia considered the matter a cause for concern from its own perspective.
In his letter, Lavrov also suggested that the foreign ministers of the EU countries might try to act in a way that would make the views of Russia the prevailing views in Estonia as well. Kanerva noted that there was nothing else that was significant in the letter, the existence of which was first reported on Thursday morning by the newspaper Turun Sanomat.
Germany, the current holder of the EU Presidency, has been responsible for the silent diplomacy that the EU has practiced in the dispute between Russia and Estonia over the bronze soldier monument.
In addition to Kanerva, Lavrov has sent a letter to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. However, Germany's Ambassador to Finland Hanns Schumacher said in Thursday's Turun Sanomat that the letter was "fairly severe" in its tone. Foreign Minister Steinmeier is expected to travel to Moscow next week.
Earlier this week Foreign Minister Kanerva defended the way that the Germans had dealt with the conflict.
Kanerva said on Tuesday that much had happened on the diplomatic front that had not been brought out in public. He felt that the impression according to which the EU is working slowly "as if it had the handbrake on", was erroneous.
"We know what happened in the Moscow-Tallinn-Berlin triangle. It is unfair to day that Germany was not on the move. I can assure you that it was", said Kanerva. In his view, the silent diplomacy chosen by Germany has proved to be the right decision.
Helsingin Sanomat