The Finnish-Russian treaty will continue

The treaty on relations between Finland and Russia will continue unchanged until 2007. This was announced by Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja after concluding his talks with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in Helsinki on Friday, 11 May.

Similarily with other European nations, Finland concluded a new treaty with the Russian federation after the Soviet Union was dissolved. The new treaty determined the principles of international law, in accordance with the UN Charter and the CSCE Final Document, as the foundations of the relations between the two nations. The treaty also provides a foundation for the promotion of cooperation in the neighbouring regions as well as for environmental, cultural and scientific cooperation.

The treaty came into force on 11 July, 1992 and is effective until 2002. Foreign ministers Tuomioja and Ivanov said that the treaty has worked well as a foundation for the bilateral relations of Finland and Russia and saw no reason to change it. Thus, the treaty will be effective, as agreed, from 11 July, 2002, for another five years.