UK Foreign Secretary described talks with Kanerva as “a meeting of two allies”

UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband thanked his host, Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva, on Wednesday for his invitation to visit Finland, and in a press conference held following the talks stated that this had been a meeting of two allies. “We have many shared interests with Finland”, Miliband said, starting the list by mentioning relations between the EU and Russia, which are also in the forefront of the present Finnish Government’s foreign and security policy.

In Miliband’s view, Russia is a highly significant partner for Europe and it is important to find new forms of cooperation, especially now that Russia has a new administration. Miliband mentioned working together on issues pertaining to climate change and security as particular challenges.

Britain also sees Finland as a global partner who, like Britain, is committed to global engagements in responding to the challenges of such issues as climate change, migration and the EU’s common foreign and security policy. Both nations are committed to multilateral action, Miliband said, mentioning Finland’s active role in the development of cooperation between the EU and NATO as an example. In his view, the defence and security cooperation being carried out by Finland, Sweden and Norway supports the same multilateralism and deepening of cooperation.

The challenges facing the European Union are not merely internal; new threats face the Member States from beyond the EU’s borders. For this reason, both Finland and Britain are committed to assisting countries like Kosovo and Afghanistan economically as well as militarily. Britain and Finland were among the first countries to recognise Kosovo.

When asked to confirm this morning’s news on reduction of British forces in Afghanistan, Miliband was unwilling to present any timetable for Britain’s withdrawal. The Foreign Secretary stressed that Afghanistan needs the presence of the international community and economic support, for reasons of the country’s security and social development. No one would propose that we should cease supporting a poor country ranking 174th in global economic statistics, he said.

Our role is not to create a new colony in Afghanistan; rather, we strive to support stability in Afghanistan so that the Afghanis themselves would be able to secure their country and uphold democracy and human rights, Miliband continued, pointing out that five or six years ago, the country’s 2.5 million girls were not allowed to go to school and that there are now security forces 49,000 strong, while five or six years ago there were hardly any at all.

Webcast of the press conference(Link to another website.)