VZCZCXRO5735
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHHE #0044 0231408
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231408Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2899
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0030
RUEHKB/AMEMBASSY BAKU 0007
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0034

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000044 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM KPAO IR EUN FI
SUBJECT: FINNISH RESPONSE - SURVEYING EU MEMBERS ON THEIR 
IRAN CIVIL SOCIETY AND DEMOCRACY PROGRAMMING 
 
REF: SECSTATE 2659 
 
¶1. (U) PolChief discussed subject demarche Jan. 23 with MFA 
Office Director for the Middle East Eija Rotinen.  Rotinen 
welcomed the information regarding the extensive democracy 
and civil society outreach the US is engaging in to promote 
civil rights, democracy and unbiased information in Iran. 
She agreed that direct outreach to the Iranian people holds 
the best hope for fostering incremental change in Iran, 
despite the repressive nature of the regime. 
 
¶2. (SBU) As for Finland's efforts in this area, she 
admitted that they were not currently extensive.  Internal 
GOF discussions are taking place regarding the best 
potential avenues for civil society and people-to-people 
outreach, but Rotinen underscored how difficult it has been 
for the GOF's tiny, 2-person mission in Tehran to engage 
NGOs or civil society.  In recent years Finland has funded 
a handful of very small budget, one-time programs focused 
on environmental issues (she mentioned habitat and species 
protection) and seminars.  Outreach to Iranian NGOs has 
been a focus of Finnish efforts, and given the nature of 
the regime the GOF views environmental NGOs as the least 
controversial way of opening conversations with civil 
society (although even this, Rotinen said, has not been 
without problems).  Rotinen also reported that the EU is 
engaged in "continuous conversations" about how to engage 
Iranian civil society, and that Finland will continue to 
participate as these conversations intensify. 
WARE