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### Viewing cable 05HELSINKI873, PUTIN VISITS FINLAND

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
05HELSINKI873 | 2005-08-04 05:05 | 2011-04-24 00:12 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Helsinki

`

    This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HELSINKI 000873

    SIPDIS

    STATE FOR EUR/NB, EUR/RUS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/02/2015
    TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR PHUM RS EN FI
    SUBJECT: PUTIN VISITS FINLAND

    Classified By: POLOFF DAVID ALLEN SCHLAEFER FOR REASON 1.4
    (B) AND (D)

    ¶1.  (C)  Summary:  Ambassador Earle I. Mack met privately
    with Jarmo Viinanen, Chief of Staff to Finland's President
    Tarja Halonen, on August 3.  Viinanen briefed the Ambassador
    about Russian President Putin's 2 day visit to Finland for
    meetings with Halonen.  Viinanen said that both sides
    emphasized Finnish-Russian cooperation and partnership and
    purposefully stayed away from potential areas of
    disagreement.  Agreement was reached to open a new border
    crossing and explore additional options to facilitate
    cross-border traffic;  Russia placed importance on all 8 of
    the border checkpoints being fully operational.  Putin did
    not pressure the Finns about their visa regime.  Putin told
    Halonen that he was particularly angry with and "felt
    betrayed" by Estonia for inserting negative language into the
    text of the border agreement, and that Russia was now in no
    hurry to continue the process.  At a press conference,
    Halonen defended the Estonians and Latvians when Putin
    criticized their treatment of ethnic Russian minorities.
    Finally, Putin toured the Turku Science Park and expressed
    general interest in the facilities.

    Short on Substance, Long on Symbolism
    -------------------------------------
    ¶2.  (C)  Viinanen told the Ambassador that Putin's visit was
    designed to highlight the positive aspects of the
    Finnish-Russian bilateral relationship.  Neither side wished
    to discuss in detail outstanding issues or areas of
    disagreement, and this non-confrontational agenda had been
    agreed upon prior to the trip to avoid any unpleasant
    surprises.  For their part, the Finns were eager to use the
    visit to downplay any suggestions of tension in the bilateral
    relationship, highlight Finnish-Russian cooperation, and
    follow up on Halonen's successful visit to Moscow during the
    World War II celebrations earlier this year.  Viinanen
    characterized the meetings as friendly and as being "between
    two equals,' and said that Halonen and Putin had a strong
    personal relationship at this point.  Most of the discussions
    took place at Kultaranta ("Gold Beach"), the President's
    official summer residence on the coast near Turku.  Halonen
    and Putin also took a private (with 2 interpreters only),
    one-hour evening cruise.

    Bilateral Border Issues
    -----------------------
    ¶3.  (C)  Viinanen said that both Halonen and Putin pointedly
    stayed away from likely irritants.  Specific agreement to
    open a new border crossing to facilitate commercial and other
    traffic was reached, as was general agreement on the need for
    expedited rail and bus routes.  Putin said that it was
    important for all 8 existing border checkpoints to be open
    and fully operational.  Finnish and Russian officials will
    schedule a follow-up meeting to explore options.  Viinanen
    said that the often contentious issue of visa policy was
    mentioned only in passing, and that Putin did not pressure
    Halonen about Finland's refusal rate or processing
    requirements.  Halonen, for her part, remarked that Finland
    had a very flexible visa regime, and that it was much easier
    for a Russian to get a visa to visit Finland than it was for
    a Finn to obtain a visa to visit Russia.  Putin invited
    Halonen to visit the opening of a wastewater purification
    plant in September in St. Petersburg, and Halonen said that
    she would most likely do so.

    Baltic Border Issues
    --------------------
    ¶4.  (C)  The Finnish media reported that Halonen strongly
    defended the Baltic countries to Putin against charges that
    they mistreated their ethnic Russian minorities.  However,
    Viinanen said that the "occasion to criticize the Balts" on
    the minorities issue never came up in Putin's discussions
    with Halonen, and that it was only in response to a
    reporter's question at the final press conference that Putin
    made such critical remarks, prompting Halonen to come to the
    Baltic countries' defense.  On the general issue of the
    Estonian and Latvian border agreements, Putin told Halonen
    that he was angered by the Estonian Parliament's "betrayal"
    of his hard work.  Putin told Halonen that he had personally
    decided to sign the agreements and push them through the
    ratification process-- in the face of strong domestic
    opposition-- before the Estonians had made their unhelpful
    changes to their agreement's preamble.  He said that he
    privately understood the political dynamic that compelled
    them to do so, but that this did not change his opinion or
    "alter the reality of the situation."  Putin opined to
    Halonen that the Latvians were "more honest" about the
    agreements, and in general he seemed to have a more positive
    assessment of the dialogue with Latvia than with Estonia.
    However, he said that Russia would wait before concluding any
    agreements at this point.

    S and T, and English
    --------------------
    ¶5.  (C)  Putin toured the Turku Science Park with Finnish
    officials and, according to Viinanen, "looked around with
    interest."  There were no Russian S and T officials with him,
    however, and he did not indicate particular interest in any
    specific project or ask to visit any of the Russian companies
    in the area.  Contrary to some media reports, he did not do
    any sightseeing other than the boat cruise with Halonen and
    the stay at the historic Kultaranta.  His wife did not
    accompany him.  Putin and Halonen apparently used translators
    during their discussions, but Viinanen told the Ambassador
    that Putin spoke some English with Dr. Pentti Arajarvi
    (Halonen's husband) for about one hour while the two took a
    sauna together on the first night of the visit.  Arajarvi
    reported that Putin's English was not strong, but that he was
    obviously working hard on it, and that they were able to
    communicate satisfactorily.

    ¶6.  (C)  Comment:  For a two day visit that included 8 hours
    of discussion, the meetings--  at least according to
    Viinanen--  appear to have been remarkably unsubstantive.
    Journalists raised some difficult issues at the press
    conference, but troublesome areas such as regional
    environmental degradation, Russian overflight of Finnish
    territory, transnational problems like TIP, etc., seem to
    have been lightly touched on, if at all.  Putin was
    appreciative of Halonen's decision to attend the VE Day
    celebrations in Moscow and her public remarks at the time,
    and it seems the current visit may have been designed to
    reciprocate.  Halonen's foreign policy acumen has been
    questioned recently, as has the state of Finnish-Russian
    bilateral relations;  with next January's election looming,
    Putin's visit afforded the President an opportunity to share
    the stage with a major world leader and reassure Finns that
    all is well on her watch with Finland's most important,
    difficult, and dangerous neighbor.

    MACK

`