This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 06 HELSINKI 000690 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT FI
SUBJECT: CODEL HYDE VISIT TO FINLAND 
 
 
Introduction and Summary 
------------------------ 
 
¶1. (U) CODEL Hyde -- House International Relations Committee 
Chairman Henry Hyde (R-IL), HIRC Minority Leader Tom Lantos 
(D-CA), Representative Melvin Watt (D-NC), Representative 
Darrell Issa (R-CA), and Representative Diane Watson (D-CA) 
-- visited Finland, May 29-31.  On May 30, the CODEL met with 
Finnish Parliament Speaker (and former PM) Paavo Lipponen, 
the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, and Foreign 
Minister Erkki Tuomioja.  The Finns, who strongly support 
inter-parliamentary exchanges, warmly welcomed the Delegation 
and each of the CODEL's interlocutors stressed the political, 
economic, environmental, and security importance of the 
trans-Atlantic relationship. 
 
¶2. (U) Issues covered included the French "no" vote on the 
EU's Constitution Treaty May 29; the EU's China arms embargo; 
Finland's relationship with NATO; environmental protection, 
particularly in the Arctic; the role nuclear power has to 
play in the world's energy supply; and developments in 
Russia.  Representative Lantos said the Congress finds it 
"appalling" that the nations to whose aid the United States 
came to during World War II should consider lifting the EU 
China arms embargo for what are in fact "crass commercial 
reasons."  On NATO, Lipponen and Foreign Affairs Committee 
Chair Jaakonsaari -- both of whom are widely believed by the 
Finnish public to be gently nudging the nation toward 
Alliance membership -- were non-committal in replying for the 
record to the Delegation's pointed questions about the value 
of Finnish non-alignment in the 21st Century (although 
Jaakonsaari caused general laughter by giving the Delegation 
a hearty thumbs-up when the CODEL made the case for 
membership).  For his part, FM Tuomioja said he doubted the 
question of NATO membership would arise even in the next 
Parliamentary term (2007-2011).  The Finns, who now are 
building a fifth nuclear reactor, agreed with the CODEL that 
nuclear power has an important role to play in the search for 
cleaner (low-carbon) energy sources.  On Russia, the CODEL's 
Finnish interlocutors expressed guarded concern about both 
political trends and the environment, but said 
Finnish-Russian bilateral relations are good.  The 
Delegation's Finnish interlocutors all spoke positively of 
the EU's Northern Dimension, and Lipponen and Tuomioja 
reiterated Finnish interest in the Enhanced Partnership in 
Northern Europe.  End Introduction and Summary. 
 
Meeting with Speaker Lipponen 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Parliament Speaker Paavo Lipponen, who is also well 
known to CODEL members from his days as Finnish Prime 
Minister (1995-2003), hosted a working breakfast for the 
Delegation.  Lipponen spoke of the United States as a 
"pioneer democracy," whose lead Finland has followed.  He 
said a window of opportunity now existed for better 
trans-Atlantic relations.  There is bipartisan support on the 
Finnish side for closer cooperation on everything from the 
Middle East to energy issues.  Chairman Hyde responded that 
inter-parliamentary meetings are an important part of this 
process, as they help legislatures understand each other and 
each other's perspectives.  Lipponen noted the June, 2004 
trip to the United States of all of the Nordic/Baltic 
speakers, which has broadened contacts in the months since. 
 
¶4. (U) Turning to that morning's headlines on the French 
referendum, Lipponen said that although the European project 
is not perfect, the "no" vote tells us more about France and 
the French than about Europe.  EU member nations, he said, 
need time to reflect -- on what the geographic limits of 
Europe should be, and on how much power to give to Brussels. 
That said, the European Union cannot put its Common Foreign 
and Security Policy, or its partnership with the United 
States, on hold.  Nor does it need to: the treaty is an 
exercise in codification; it will streamline decision-making 
and make it more democratic (incidentally giving more power 
to France in the process); but the EU can move forward on the 
basis of existing arrangements. 
 
¶5. (U) Lipponen said Finland is particularly concerned about 
the EU's relationship with Russia.  He reiterated the Finnish 
view that Moscow deals too much with the EU member nations on 
a bilateral basis; the countries of the Union should have an 
EU-wide agreement on all of the basic issues affecting their 
relations with Russia.  Finland's main contribution has been 
the Northern Dimension, which has been most successful in the 
environmental sphere, including in the nuclear area.  The 
U.S. contribution has been the Northern Europe Initiative, 
followed by the Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe, and 
the Finns are anxious to continue and expand "e-PINE" 
cooperation. 
 
¶6. (U) On economic issues, the Speaker said that Finland sees 
itself as a kind of liberalizing influence within the EU, 
countering German and French protectionism.  ("I won't speak 
of the United States.")  But Finland's economy needs reform, 
too -- unemployment is still too high and pension systems 
need to be more sustainable.  He noted that the upcoming 
G-7/G-8 meetings will be very important, especially in the 
energy field: the world needs a global energy policy that is 
more diverse and better able to protect the environment. 
Nuclear power has a role to play, he added.  Finland is 
something of an anomaly in nuclear-averse Europe: it has four 
reactors and is building a fifth. 
 
¶7. (U) Representative Issa asked about Lipponen's vision for 
Finland's pending medical reform bill, which is expected to 
contain better protection for the intellectual property 
rights of pharmaceutical companies.  How does Finland plan to 
balance cost of pharmaceuticals with protection for those who 
invent and invest?  Lipponen said that the major 
pharmaceutical companies are a significant part of the 
Finnish economy, and it is important that they remain in 
Finland.  Finland wants to develop its biotechnology sector, 
and realizes that IPR protection is the key. 
 
¶8. (U) Asked by Representative Watson for his views on NATO 
membership, Lipponen said that for Finland, which is "on the 
border of a very sensitive region," territorial defense 
remains a fundamental principle in its national security. 
The Finns spend close to 2% of GDP on defense, and have 
retained universal male conscription, with the result that 
the nation could mobilize a force of 300,000 men, one of the 
best-educated armies in the world.  At the same time, Finland 
is participating "without reservation" in European defense 
cooperation, with Finnish troops to join two EU battle 
groups.  Finland retains NATO membership as an option, and 
will be following NATO's evolution closely, while cooperating 
closely with the Alliance and participating in the 
Partnership for Peace. 
 
¶9. (U) Representative Lantos noted that a great degree of 
good will and admiration for Finland exists among the U.S. 
people and Congress -- so it disturbs us that in Finland and 
elsewhere in Europe, there is so much anti-Americanism.  It 
is "perverse" that the U.S., which forms the cornerstone of 
international security, should be the object of so much 
criticism, including from some of Europe's leaders.  Lipponen 
acknowledged that one can find a degree of anti-Americanism 
in Finland today, but Finns are uneasy about "old Europe's" 
confrontational attitude toward the U.S.  The Finnish 
government and parliament want good relations with the United 
States -- he noted that even the leader of the Left Alliance, 
the party that absorbed the old Finnish Communist party, 
considers herself a friend of the U.S. 
 
¶10. (U) Lipponen conceded that there had been opposition in 
Finland to Operation Iraqi Freedom, which had also been used 
against him as PM: in the elections of March 2003 challenger 
Anneli Jaatteenmaki of the Center Party had accused Lipponen 
of "collaborating" with the U.S.  But no matter how one felt 
about OIF, he stressed, it is in no one's interest for the 
U.S. to fail in its efforts to aid democracy in Iraq and the 
region, and the Europeans must do more. 
 
¶11. (U) Representative Watt turned to the CODEL's May 31-June 
2 visit to Moscow and meetings with the Russian Duma.  What 
issues should the Delegation address in those meetings? 
Lipponen said that Russia is experiencing economic progress, 
and at the same time social "degradation."  President Putin 
is attempting to lift Russia out of the hands of the local 
satraps, oligarchs, and organized crime, but what he is doing 
may not be the best way.  In a nation as large as Russia, the 
president must be able to delegate a great deal of authority 
to regional administrations.  Lipponen added that Finland is 
also concerned about the upsurge in Russian nationalism, 
especially following the tragedy in Beslan.  That said, 
Finland's own bilateral relations with Russia are good, and 
the Finns believe the May EU-Russia summit was very 
successful. 
 
¶12. (U) Representative Watson voiced concern that the 
phenomenon of global warming has still not received the level 
of intensive research that it deserves, and said she hoped 
that nations can come together on a common approach. 
Representative Issa, referring to cooperation within the 
Arctic Council, asked whether Lipponen thought the U.S. was 
doing enough to protect the Arctic.  It sometimes seemed, 
Issa remarked, that U.S. legislators think of the Arctic only 
in terms of its oil reserves.  The Speaker urged the U.S. to 
do more in the area of energy efficiency and diversification. 
 Issa, who chairs the Subcommittee on Energy and Resources of 
the House Government Reform Committee, noted that if the 
United States had built every nuclear power plant that had 
been on order at the time of Three Mile Island, we would be 
Kyoto-compliant today.  Lipponen agreed that one cannot say 
"renewable energy is good, nuclear energy is bad."  Finland's 
experience shows that nations can safely produce nuclear 
energy.  Critical rhetoric is sometimes hypocritical: the 
Swedes "made a big deal" of closing two reactors, but at the 
same time raised capacity in existing reactors, so that 
overall Sweden now gets seven percent more of its power from 
nuclear sources than before. 
 
Meeting with the Eduskunta's Foreign Affairs Committee 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶13. (U) The CODEL met with the Foreign Affairs Committee of 
Finland's unicameral parliament, including Committee chair 
Liisa Jaakonsaari (SDP), Vice Chair Kimmo Kiljunen (SDP), 
Eero Lankia (Center), and Ulla Anttila (Greens).  In 
welcoming the CODEL, Chairwoman Jaakonsaari noted her 
Committee's belief that enhancing U.S.-Finnish cooperation 
and the U.S.-European dialogue is a matter "of paramount 
importance." 
 
¶14. (U) Chairman Hyde asked what issues the CODEL should 
raise with counterparts in the Duma.  Jaakonsaari said the 
Delegation should ask how Russia sees the future of its 
neighbors, including Ukraine and Moldova.  MP Kiljunen 
commented that a major transformation is taking place in the 
former Soviet Union -- in the case of Ukraine, Georgia, and 
Kyrgyzstan a real revolution.  This welcome change has not 
extended to the frozen conflicts, however, and these 
conflicts could be dangerous to all of Europe, particularly 
since Russia is distancing itself from the OSCE.  Jaakonsaari 
also said it would be useful for the Delegation to seek 
Russia's views on NATO enlargement. 
 
¶15. (U) The Chairwoman wen ton to say that Arctic issues and 
the environment are among the biggest challenges in dealing 
with Russia.  Russia currently chairs the Arctic Council, but 
its politicians have not shown much interest in the 
environment.  Representative Issa agreed that Russia clearly 
puts exploitation of energy resources ahead of clean air and 
water.  How can the West break through this mind set? 
Jaakonsaari said that the Northern Dimension has been one 
instrument.  Its most successful project to date may be the 
St. Petersburg Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant.  MP 
Anttila remarked that local Russian environmental groups have 
been quite active, despite the great difficulty getting 
funding from Moscow. 
 
¶16. (U) Chairman Hyde said that the global movement to 
nuclear power and alternate sources of energy is inevitable, 
particularly with China and India becoming major industrial 
powers.  China has serious problems it is not beginning to 
address.  One of the flaws of Kyoto was that it has different 
impacts on different nations.  Jaakonsaari agreed, but 
cautioned that scaling back industrial production in order to 
lower pollution can have a disruptive effect on living 
standards.  To reach fair agreements, governments have to 
show good will as well as the readiness to take unpopular 
steps.  Representative Issa said that the Montreal Protocol 
taught the West a lesson: it lowered pollution in the 
developed world, but at the cost of a dramatic increase in 
the Third World, as production shifted.  The United States 
supports the objectives of Kyoto, but the Protocol is flawed 
so badly that it is impossible even within the CODEL to 
debate it without the debate disintegrating into stalemate. 
 
¶17. (U) Anttila asked what in the U.S. view should replace 
Kyoto.  Issa stressed that the U.S. would like to work toward 
Kyoto compliance, noting however that the standard should be 
pollutants per output, and should cover total emissions -- 
without exempting, for example, New Zealand's home burning of 
wood.  The nuclear debate must be part of any future 
international agreement.  Anttila argued that many nations 
cannot reach the energy efficiency of a Finland.  Issa 
countered that plenty of nations use "we can't" as an excuse 
for bad priorities.  The United States can and should do 
more, granted.  But Western nations should also get credit 
for the cleanup technology that they transfer to others for 
the common good, since air and water are global, not 
national, resources. 
 
¶18. (U) Representative Lantos, who co-chairs the House Human 
Rights Caucus, thanked MP Anttila for her work as chair of a 
similar caucus in the Eduskunta.  Representative Lantos then 
said that disagreement over Kyoto seems to be just one issue 
on a larger agenda of problems Europe has with the U.S.  We 
are deeply puzzled by the anti-Americanism we have witnessed 
in Europe in recent years.  Although the United States makes 
mistakes, it has been a constructive influence, and all our 
European friends should be glad the U.S. is the sole 
remaining superpower.  Lantos also commented that it is a 
mistaken judgment for Finns to oppose NATO membership.  (MP 
Jaakonsaari -- whose support for Alliance membership is an 
open secret -- interjected her hearty agreement with a 
thumbs-up, to general laughter.)  NATO might not lose much if 
Finland stays out of the North Atlantic Alliance, but Finland 
could lose a great deal, not least the protection of Article 
¶V. 
 
¶19. (U) MP Jaakonsaari declared that there is no 
anti-Americanism in Finland.  "Trade is booming, and everyday 
contacts are becoming more vivid."  There was criticism of 
Operation Iraqi Freedom, certainly, but the U.S. should be 
more concerned about the reactions of Arab nations, not the 
Nordics.  She recalled the Committee's recent visit to Egypt, 
where she was "infuriated" to find open support for Osama bin 
Laden among some segments of the population.  As to NATO, she 
said that persistent Cold War attitudes make it difficult for 
some Finns to adjust.  On the other hand, other Finns 
question NATO's relevance for the future of trans-Atlantic 
relations: "If it is not so interesting to the United States, 
it becomes less interesting to us." 
 
¶20. (U) Chairman Hyde acknowledged that NATO was formed to 
respond to a Soviet threat.  But an organization that brings 
the U.S., Canada, and the nations of Europe into a single 
unit still has merit.  The Chairman supposed that the Finnish 
people believe NATO membership would diminish their 
neutrality toward war.  Representative Issa added that NATO 
is still relevant, whether the instability is in Sarajevo or 
Saudi Arabia -- it is the only bloc where all have a seat at 
the table, and can work together to prevent a World War II 
from happening again. 
 
¶21. (U) MP Kiljunen said many in Europe are averse to 
superpowers in general.  As for Finns, they feel "the black 
pages of our history were those where we were a front-line 
state in wars among the big powers."  Representative Lantos 
countered that the issues of the 21st century will not be 
global war but the global war on terrorism.  If a conflict 
begins it will be the fault of a nation like North Korea.  If 
Finland does not share in the effort to prevent that, it is 
shirking its responsibility.  Kiljunen protested that Finland 
is an active member of the United Nations.  Lantos said any 
idea that the UN can substitute for collective defense is 
"unacceptable" to the U.S. Congress and people. 
 
¶22. (U) Turning to the French referendum, Representative 
Watson commented that the "no" was an expression of 
discontent with the Chirac government.  MP Kiljunen agreed, 
and added that it also seemed to be a vote against the EU in 
general -- which is ironic, since if there is one nation that 
has been synonymous with European integration and the 
Constitution, it is France.  Chairwoman Jaakonsaari added 
that all the old colonial nations but France seem to realize 
that they are no longer world powers.  There was also the 
Union's expansion to the east, which has caused anxiety on 
both the left and right.  Representative Watson asked what 
the Europeans will do now.  Kiljunen said it might also be 
possible to adopt parts I and II of the Constitution Treaty, 
and set Part III aside for a new referendum in the autumn of 
¶2006.  Renegotiation of the Treaty is "impossible." 
Jaakonsaari said that no referendum is planned in Finland; 
instead the Treaty will be submitted to the Eduskunta later 
this year, with approval expected this autumn. 
 
¶23. (U) Jaakonsaari, noting that her Committee had recently 
visited China, asked for the  Delegation's thoughts on the 
EU's arms embargo.  Representative Lantos said that the 
United States is primarily responsible for maintaining a 
place in the Taiwan Strait, and "we find it appalling that 
the Europeans want to sell arms that could be used against 
us."  The U.S. is attempting to quiet the more aggressive 
forces on both sides of the Strait, and it is unacceptable 
that those nations to whose aid we gave in World War II 
should take such a step.  The arguments for it are based on 
"crass commercial reasons."  Representative Issa compared the 
situation to China's admission into the WTO.  Once the 
Chinese gained the prize they wanted, they began to backslide 
on their commitments.  The same would be true if the EU 
lifted the arms embargo in return for a Chinese commitment to 
improve human rights or moderate its stance toward Taiwan. 
 
Meeting with Foreign Minister 
----------------------------- 
 
¶24. (U) FM Erkki Tuomioja thanked the CODEL for its visit, 
saying that when the EU ministers meet, one key issue is 
always how to encourage U.S.-European contacts.  Our 
societies think they know each other well, he said, but he 
would feel better if there were more contacts at all levels, 
and particularly Americans traveling to Finland. 
 
¶25. (U) Commenting on the Constitution Treaty, Tuomioja said 
that even today perhaps a third of Finns do not like the EU 
-- but Finland's membership is not an issue.  Finland sees 
the Union as "the primary vehicle for our multilateral 
engagement," and the conduct of a common foreign and security 
policy has the support of government and opposition alike. 
Moreover, there is strong public and official support for the 
European Security and Defense Policy, "which isn't a military 
alliance.  For that kind of security, NATO is there," and 
Finland agrees with Berlin Plus.  The Finns don't see any 
security reason for joining NATO, Tuomioja said, and although 
Finland will keep the option open, he still doubted that the 
matter would come up even in the next parliamentary session 
(2007-2011). 
 
¶26. (U) Tuomioja said the EU should "let the French decision 
be, and not take any panic decisions."  Some negotiation of 
the treaty may be necessary, but the "no" was about the 
French government, about Turkish membership, and about the 
service directive for a single market.  The latter two can be 
decided with or without the Constitution, but still, the 
voters have made a point that must be taken seriously. 
Europe must become more transparent, and governments "more 
humble about things European when addressing our own 
citizens." 
 
¶27. (U) Asked by Representative Lantos about anti-Americanism 
in Finland and Europe generally, the FM said that the Finns 
have something of a love-hate relationship with the U.S.  Yet 
Finland has been called the most Americanized country in 
Europe, and even the Finnish left has been influenced by the 
American left.  One problem is that the memory of World War 
II is fading, which he as a professional historian regrets. 
Another is that the two countries have different social 
models.  But "multilateralism, in order to be effective, must 
have the U.S. on board."  Tuomioja expressed apprehension 
about perceived American unilateralism.  "To Finns, the UN is 
the basis for international legitimacy." 
 
¶28. (U) Representative Lantos said he supported the United 
Nations, but it does not have the kind of legitimacy that the 
Finns' "idealized, textbook view" would confer upon it. 
Granted, the Finns would like to see such an organization 
emerge, but the United States does not necessarily believe 
that a military operation is ipso factor legitimate if 
endorsed by the UN and illegitimate if not so endorsed -- 
particularly when the Oil-for-Food scandal suggests real 
questions about the under-the-table financial dealings of 
people close to Chirac.  The FM argued that Finland does 
recognize the UN's faults, but such an organization is needed 
to strengthen the rule of law.  The UN has to be the source 
of legitimacy, and it "has gotten its act together better in 
recent years."  The world has to move beyond the concept of 
sovereign nation states.  All must be have an open human 
rights record, and be subject to monitoring and sanctions if 
necessary.  GoF itself has been taken to the Strasbourg Court 
from time to time, and on occasion forced to change Finnish 
laws.  Incidentally, he added, Finland also supports the 
International Criminal Court as an important step in 
spreading the rule of law. 
 
¶29. (U) Representative Watt asked what issues the CODEL 
should raise with the Duma.  Tuomioja urged the Delegation 
not to shy away from discussion of human rights and 
democratization.  He noted that Finland has worked hard on 
promoting a common strategy within the EU -- "If we're to 
have any influence on Russian developments, we must speak 
with one voice."  This does not exclude the importance of 
bilateral relations, but there are no real Finnish-Russian 
issues right now.  Finland is expecting a clear reply and an 
apology from Moscow regarding repeated violations of Finnish 
airspace, but the GoF does not see this as a military threat 
and does not believe it was instigated at the highest level. 
The FM also commented that the Finland-Russia frontier 
represents a sharper drop in standard of living than the 
U.S.-Mexico border, which brings its own problems.  More and 
more, Finland is having to take on sole responsibility for 
these, as the Russians shift their border police to the 
south.  The FM added that the Northern Dimension is all about 
EU-Russia relations; the Finns also are interested in and 
appreciate e-PINE, and look forward to further cooperation 
there. 
 
¶30. (U) Representative Issa raised the question of the China 
arms embargo.  Obviously, the U.S. position on lifting it is 
a resounding no.  What are the FM's views?  Tuomioja said 
that there is a "unanimous" feeling within the EU that the 
embargo has outlived its purpose.  This does not mean Finland 
wants to see a surge in the arms trade.  But the embargo "is 
either on or off, and if it is off, there is nothing to 
discuss."  The GoF's position is that the Code of Conduct 
should be strengthened and made legally binding.  The Finns 
believe that this would give the EU greater leverage, since 
human rights issues become an explicit basis for denial of an 
export.  Finland is aware of U.S. and Taiwanese concerns and 
certainly does not want to upset strategic stability in East 
Asia.  But the Finns are also aware of the high-technology 
exports that the arms embargo has failed to stop.  "We need a 
better way to influence China." 
¶31. (U) In closing, Representative Watson said she was 
impressed with the FM's reaction to the French referendum. 
Clearly his views were well thought-out, and not a knee-jerk 
reaction.  It will strengthen everyone if these problems can 
be resolved.  In the meantime, she hoped Tuomioja would 
continue to work on bringing the nations of the Nordic-Baltic 
region closer together. 
 
¶32. (U) The CODEL has cleared this message. 
WEISBERG