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OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUCNDT #0484 1320118
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 120118Z MAY 09 ZDK
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6523
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000484 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO S/GWI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KWMN FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND PERMREP MAKES INTRODUCTORY CALL ON 
AMBASSADOR RICE 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Incoming Finnish Permrep Jarmo Viinanen 
told Ambassador Rice on May 4 that Finland hoped to build on 
the success of the March 7-8 high-level international women's 
colloquium in Liberia by holding a high-level event during 
the UNGA ministerial week.  Viinanen also expressed Finland's 
support for the U.S. bid for a seat on the Human Rights 
Council.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Paying a brief introductory call on Ambassador Rice 
on May 4, the incoming Permanent Representative of Finland, 
Jarmo Viinanen, said that Finland was pleased with the 
outcome of the March 7-8, 2009 International Colloquium on 
Women's Empowerment, Leadership, Development, International 
Peace and Security in Monrovia, co-sponsored by Liberia and 
Finland.  Viinanen said Finland is involved in planning a 
follow-up event on the margins of the UNGA Ministerial Week 
in autumn 2009, and that he expected Finland's President 
would attend the event.  He hoped that the U.S. would also be 
able to attend at a Ministerial level.  Ambassador Rice said 
she was open to Finland's thoughts on the Ministerial, and 
that the United States would hope to send a senior 
representative. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Viinanen said that Finland would support U.S. for a 
seat on the Human Rights Council, "since if the U.S. is not 
involved, we cannot speak of true multilateral cooperation." 
He also welcomed the marked increase in U.S. engagement on a 
range of UN issues.  Referring to his recent arrival, he 
admitted it was challenging to try to overcome a steep 
learning curve related to Finland's involvement with UN 
Specialized Agencies and ECOSOC, while at the same time 
meeting all of his new colleagues. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Rice said the U.S. had adopted a new 
approach to multi-lateral diplomacy, which she hoped would be 
reflected in all aspects of our engagement, citing the 
General Assembly, ECOSOC, 3rd and 6th Committees as examples. 
 
Rice