Helsinki, April 14 (IANS) Finnish President Sauli Niinisto called for a better understanding of the increasing geopolitical tensions and Finland’s role in global politics as a new member of the NATO while addressing the opening session of the Finnish Parliament.
Speaking of the need for continued alertness to safeguard the security of the Baltic Sea region, he said on Thursday that it was “not in Finland’s best interest to aggravate that power struggle or to deepen the division into blocs with its own actions”.
“Our own diplomacy is needed not only in Europe but also in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We must also talk with those — and perhaps in particular with those — who see the world differently from us,” he added.
Referring to what he saw as possible repercussions of the country’s NATO membership, Niinisto told a press conference after his speech that he was “not comfortable” with the idea of Finland potentially hosting nuclear weapons.
He said he didn’t oppose Finland’s participation in NATO nuclear planning and training but it “does not mean that nuclear weapons would be coming to Finland”, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Multilateral agreements are the lifeline of a small country. That is a thought we should hold on to,” he added. However, “the changed conditions and the rapidly developing military technology may affect the current application of the existing agreements”.
–IANS
int/khz/
