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Home NATIONALNATO membership to damage Finland-Russia relations: Niinistö
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Tue, 25 Nov, 2014 12:01:31 AM
FTimes - STT Report, Nov. 25
 
President Sauli Niinistö. Photo – Lehtikuva.
President Sauli Niinistö said he does not support Finland joining the NATO alliance now.
 
“It is very obvious that if Finland joins NATO, it would undoubtedly harm our relations [with Russia]. You have to keep in mind that 1,300 kilometres is a long, long border, and you just don’t keep it closed. On the contrary, it’s a living border,” said Niinistö in an interview with the US daily The Washington Post.
 
Niinistö believes it was easy for Finland to join the military alliance NATO 20 years ago, because Russia was then weak.
 
In the same interview, Finland’s Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said he believes Russia has no intention to put pressure on Finland’s eastern border, because, currently, it is very stable.
 
“We have a 1,300-kilometre border between Russia and Finland. From our point of view, but also from a Russian point of view, it’s the most stable and least problematic frontier they have, and I believe they want to keep it that way as long as they have no reason to believe that the Finnish territory would be used for hostile action,” said Tuomioja, adding, “That’s the basis of our position since the Second World War.”
 
With regard to Russia’s aggressive foreign policy, the foreign minister considers it above all to be a desire to demonstrate military power.
 
 
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