Tue, 16 Apr, 2013 01:55:23 AM No press query allowed on Putin’s name hitting NBI list Child adoption, Arctic membership issues discussed FTimes-STT Report, April 16
Helsinki on Monday expressed concern at Russian government’s steps to bring the country’s non-governmental organisations under control.
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja now in Moscow on a visit expressed the Finland government’s concern at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrovon.
 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) and his Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja speak at a joint press conference in Moscow, on April 15, 2013. Photo AFP-Lehtikuva. Meanwhile, the Russian authorities did not allow journalists to ask questions about inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s name in the criminal suspect list of the National Bureau of Intelligence of Finland.
The authorities imposed the restriction on asking any question in this regard before the press conference and asked the journalists present to submit their questions beforehand for approval.
The restriction on questions and the condition of submitting queries in advance resulted in an early conclusion of the conference.
Putin’s name was found on the NBI crime suspect list, a fact that shocked both the government and the media. Television channel MTV3 revealed the information on April 10.
Both Tuomioja and Lavrovon said they discussed various bilateral issues, including child adoption, visa issuance, and some international issues.
Tuomioja said the move of Moscow to impose restrictions on NGOs and control their operations by a new legislation would make the situation worse.
Under the new law, a group of Russian NGOs funded by foreign sources and involved in “political activity” will have to register themselves as “foreign agents” and must put the same label on all of their publications, including websites.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) speaks with his Finnish counterpart Erkki Tuomioja During Their meeting in Moscow. Photo AFP-Lehtikuva The Finland minister also said the European Union would consider including Russia in the Arctic Council as an observer member. The ministers of the Arctic Council countries had set the criteria for inclusion of observer members two years ago.
Tuomioja said the establishment of and the progress made by the Arctic Council was of such importance that the member states expressed interest to co-opt observer members to boost regional cooperation.
He, however, said the eight members states of the council were the authority concerned to take a final decision in this regard.
Both the ministers said the child adoption situation would become smoother in Russia, if it followed the Hague Convention on child adoption properly.
The Hague Convention on child adoption came into force between Finland and Russia this year.
The Finnish minister also expressed the hope that Russia and the EU might introduce a visa-free regime within a couple of years.
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