VZCZCXRO8987
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHHE #0023 0161342
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161342Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4754
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 0101
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 0069
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0104
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0006

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000023 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR NEA/ELA SYRIA DESK OFFICER ALLISON MONZ AND EUR/ERA 
POLITICAL OFFICER JEFF GIAUQUE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EU SY FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: DEMARCHE EU-SYRIA ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT 
 
REF: STATE 001985 
 
(SBU) On January 16, PolOff delivered reftel demarche to Anna 
Savolainen, Desk Officer, Unit for the Middle East and North 
Africa at the Finnish MFA.  She replied that she expects a 
Syria Association Agreement discussion post-GAERC and 
post-Gaza solution.  She said that although the working group 
was to discuss Syria and meetings have occurred in Damascus, 
Gaza is now taking precedence.  Savolainen noted that most of 
the EU appears to be in favor of the agreement, but she 
believes it requires discussion, which could occur in late 
January at the earliest. 
BUTLER