VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHHE #0665 1951353
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141353Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2166
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000665 
 
SIPDIS 
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - CAPTION ADDED 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EUN FI PREL UN
SUBJECT: FINNISH VIEWS ON JULY GAERC 
 
REF: A. STATE 114605 
 
     ¶B. STATE 115346 
 
¶1. (U) PolChief and Emboff delivered subject demarche to 
Deputy European Correspondent Tanja Jaaskelainen on July 
¶14.  Jaaskelainen said the GOF generally supports most of 
our points.  The ministry response focused on Kosovo, 
Israel/Palestine, North Korea and Iraq. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Kosovo: Jaaskelainen noted that UN Special Envoy 
Ahtisaari would brief the Council on July 17 on final 
status negotiations.  The Finns fully support Ahtisaari's 
efforts and hope to see negotiations conclude by the end of 
2006 as planned.  The Council will begin examining 
framework plans for a future ESDP mission in Kosovo 
following the conclusion of negotiations.  The EU 
anticipates a UN lead and continued NATO presence, along 
with ESDP programs focusing on police and rule of law 
programs. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Israel-Palestine-Lebanon:  In general, 
Jaaskelainen agreed with our points and re-emphasized that 
the EU and the Finnish Presidency are seized with the 
crisis in the Middle East.  Solana will travel to the 
region July 15 and brief the GAERC on his return, and the 
ministers' discussions of next steps will clearly dominate 
the GAERC agenda.  Finnish FM Tuomioja hopes for a Quartet 
meeting as soon as July 18 in Brussels, immediately 
following the GAERC, she said.  Jaaskelainen also noted 
the GOF's disappointment that the UN Security Council 
had not passed Qatar's July 13 resolution on Israel's 
actions -- a resolution Finland found 
"balanced for an Arab country", and a possible avenue for 
better cooperation between the West and the Muslim world. 
 
¶4. (U) Iraq Compact: The GOF welcomes the July 20 Baghdad 
meeting as the first of hopefully many opportunities 
for discussion of Iraq's political future.  Finnish 
Ambassador Aapo Polho will attend.  However, Iraq has been 
removed from the GAERC agenda because of the expected time 
necessary to discuss Israel-Palestine-Lebanon. 
 
¶5. (U) North Korea: Jaaskelainen agreed with our points on 
North Korea but noted that it is not on the GAERC agenda. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Serbia and ICTY:  Jaaskelainen noted that Finland 
has long agreed with US demands regarding Serbia's 
cooperation with ICTY, including the concept that such 
cooperation is best proven by "delivering Mladic to the 
Hague without delay."  Speaking for Finland, she noted that 
it is very important for the US to maintain this tough 
stance, given the fact that some member states (and 
certainly Serbia) would like to see the ICTY 
conditionalities softened for both EU perspectives and 
eventual NATO/PfP participation.  If "mixed messages" were 
to emerge from Washington, Jaaskelainen continued, it could 
undermine Finland's efforts to hold as tough line and would 
certainly offer Serbia an opportunity to begin manipulating 
member states' resolve.  We assured Jaaskelainen that our 
point, as phrased in reftel, represented the US position. 
WARE