VZCZCXRO2575
RR RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHHE #0484/01 3560926
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 220926Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5330
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 5025

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HELSINKI 000484 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2019 
TAGS: FI PGOV PREL EUR RS
SUBJECT: FINLAND: PRIME MINISTER HOLDS FIRST RUSSIA FORUM 
 
REF: 09 HELSINKI 150 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Scott Brandon for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Following up on the government's "Russia 
Action Policy" issued earlier this year, on November 26 Prime 
Minister Vanhanen held the first "Russia Forum."  According 
to the Action Plan, the PM should hold a Forum to connect 
Finns from government, business and academia in order to 
inject new thinking into Finland's Russia policy.  Vanhanen 
brought together over 200 Finns to discuss the Russian 
economy and examine the quality of Finland's Russian 
expertise.  Foreign Minister Stubb (who spearheaded creation 
of the Action Plan) offered a broad assessment of Russia and 
its foreign relations, praising the U.S. "re-set" and calling 
the EU Russia's "best partner."  The event received praise 
for bringing so many together to discuss their eastern 
neighbor, but also some criticism for a lack of substance. 
However, the event seems to have connected Finns who might 
not otherwise have met, and gotten them discussing their 
eastern neighbor, so the Forum seems to hold some promise of 
future substance.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Public-private assessment of evolving policy 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) On November 26 Prime Minister Vanhanen hosted 
Finland's first "Russia Forum."  The Government's (GOF) 
"Russia Action Plan" published earlier this year (REFTEL) 
states that the PM will occasionally organize an event to 
promote a public-private partnership, in order to bring new 
thinking to an evolving Russia policy.  The Plan, which 
provides guidelines on how to deal with a resurgent Russia, 
largely reflects Foreign Minister Stubb's thinking; it seeks 
a more clear-eyed approach than followed in the past by 
pursuing productive relations with their eastern neighbor 
without shying from Russia's shortcomings and challenges. 
 
 
Vanhanen: Finland is the EU's gateway to Russia 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶3. (SBU) In a December 2 meeting with PolChief, Maimo 
Henriksson, Director of the Foreign Ministry's (MFA) Russia 
Unit discussed the Forum.  Henriksson said The Forum brought 
together over two hundred Finns from government, business, 
academia and politics.  It focused on the broad themes of the 
Russian economy and Finnish expertise in Russian matters. 
Vanhanen, Stubb and other ministers provided remarks.  In his 
remarks Vanhanen linked the event's two themes, stating that 
in order to best take advantage of its position as the EU's 
gateway to Russia, Finland needed to promote greater 
knowledge of Russia and more Finnish-Russian connections. 
 
Stubb: EU is Russia's "best partner" 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) Henrikkson provide Pol/Econ chief Stubb's talking 
points for his speech, from which she said he drew 
extensively in his remarks.  Stubb broadly covered Russia's 
economy, domestic politics, and foreign relations.  He listed 
familiar problems: a lack of transparency, corruption, am 
economy based on natural resources, and a democratic deficit. 
 While Stubb noted favorably comments by President Medvedev 
about the need for Russia to modernize, he wrote that in the 
short term he did not see any profound changes to take place 
in Russia. 
 
¶5. (U) Stubb praised the U.S. "re-set policy", stating that 
it was well-received in Russia.  He added that while the two 
countries continue to address persistent problems, both wish 
to work on matters of common interests like Afghanistan, 
non-proliferation and the Middle East.  He also welcomed 
signs of improvement in Russia-NATO relations. 
 
¶6. (U) However, Stubb most strongly emphasized the importance 
of the EU, calling it "the best partner" for Russia. 
According to Stubb, the EU offers a partnership that focuses 
on cooperation, diminishing trade barriers, improving 
mobility of people and increasing regional stability. 
Whenever Russia undergoes a modernization process, Stubb 
stressed that the EU would possess strong potential and that 
Finland could play a key role as a neighbor and EU Member 
State. 
 
Finns less interested in studying Russia 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Henriksson said the participants took a hard look at 
the state of Finland's expertise on Russia.  The most glaring 
 
HELSINKI 00000484  002 OF 002 
 
 
problem is Finns' Russian language skills: apparently 
approximately only one in forty-five Finns speaks Russian, a 
number that includes the Russian-speaking minority in 
Finland.  Another problem is the dwindling number of Finns 
studying in Russia, due to the ease in studying within the EU 
and bureaucratic difficulties in living and studying in 
Russia.  Participants proposed a number of ideas, like 
holding "Russian knowledge fairs" and perhaps establishing 
some form of Finnish-Russian university. 
 
GOF to act on Forum's guidance 
------------------------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) Henriksson voiced considerable satisfaction with the 
event (perhaps not surprisingly, as she was one of the 
organizers).  She pointed to significant public and private 
sector attendance and to the active participation of Stubb, 
who moderated the various panel discussions.  Asked about 
action items flowing from the Forum, Henriksson said that it 
fell to the relevant ministries to note suggestions and 
pursue proposals - for example, the Ministry of Education 
would consider how to increase interest in Russian studies. 
Henriksson expected another Forum next year, likely one 
smaller and tighter in focus. 
 
¶9. (SBU) In a separate meeting with Pol/Econ staff, Hanna 
Smith, a researcher at the University of Helsinki who 
participated in the Forum, offered less praise than 
Henriksson.  Smith (and others, she asserted) thought the 
content too broad and shallow to call it a great success. 
She saw no concrete "action items" emerging from the event, 
and wondered whether holding it once a year would serve a 
useful purpose.  However, Smith allowed that it was the first 
such event, and that future events could hold more substance. 
 She also noted that the Forum promoted contacts and 
discussion among participants who might not otherwise have 
met, and who will continue to meet outside the Forum. 
 
¶10. (SBU) COMMENT: Stubb has been active in forging an 
Finnish approach to Russia that is more open than in the 
past.  He seems to have succeeded in advancing this idea, 
given the turnout and high-level participation in the Forum. 
He even managed to slide in some public criticism of Russia, 
a very unusual thing here, given the MFA's account of the 
Forum on its website, the grim picture it painted of the 
economy and the expectation that membership in the WTO would 
not improve the economic situation there.  END COMMENT. 
 
ORECK