Foreign Minister Haavisto at UKK heritage association: Agreements-based system also serves Finland’s interest

Speaking before the association dedicated to Finland’s former President Urho Kekkonen in Helsinki on 28 November 2019, Foreign Minister Haavisto underlined the positive role that Finland plays in the international agreements-based system.

“Multilateralism is one of the cornerstones of our foreign policy. It is most unfortunate that we increasingly often witness the erosion of such a world order around us,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto said.

The foreign minister noted that several agreements made within the international framework are today seriously challenged. The agreements-based system cannot be fully implemented without mutual trust and an ongoing dialogue between all countries. In Europe, the CSCE continues to provide the key framework for cooperation especially in security issues, and the role of that organisation is not diminishing in the midst of today’s challenges.

This is exactly where Finland can act as part of an international front in defence of multilateralism. Finland’s historical role in mediation and in civilian and military crisis management are some examples of a positive impact that enables Finland to punch above its weight in international collaboration.

“In this field, too, Finland is able to offer major support to the international system. In fact, Finland’s current Government Programme underlines that Finland assumes a share of the responsibility for maintaining international peace and security”, Minister Haavisto notes.

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