Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Kosovo, cluster munitions and election observation

Government Communications Unit

Press release 33/2008
1.2.2008

On Friday, 1 February, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the state of play of the Kosovo status process and Finland’s participation in international negotiations on cluster munitions. The committee also discussed election observation in relation to the forthcoming Russian presidential elections.

Finland supports an undelayed settlement of the Kosovo status issue and considers it important that the EU act in unison. At the same time, Finland considers it important to continue cooperation with Serbia, including the signing of a new cooperation agreement as agreed in the meeting of EU foreign ministers on 28 January.

The meeting between the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy also discussed Finland’s participation in international negotiations on cluster munitions. Finland will participate in the negotiations, launched in January 2008, in the framework of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).

Finland is also involved in the Oslo Process (the Oslo Conference on Cluster Munitions). The Committee agreed that Finland will attend the next meeting to take place in Wellington on 18-22 February 2008. The Wellington meeting is to pave way for the actual negotiations for an agreement to be held later on in spring 2008. The process is based on the Oslo Declaration, adopted in February 2007, with which states commit themselves to conclude by 2008 a legally binding international instrument that will prohibit cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. In Finland’s view, the category includes cluster munitions without a fail safe mechanism or which have otherwise been proved unreliable in their functioning. Finland continues to underline the importance of tackling the humanitarian problems brought about by cluster munitions by, for example, developing their technical qualities.

Further information: Pilvi-Sisko Vierros, Director General, tel. +358 9 160 55032, Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Pauli Järvenpää, Director General, tel. +358 9 160 88140 Ministry of Defence