STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC AT A PRESS BRIEFING IN FINLANDIA HALL ON 22.3.1997

Respected Media Representatives,

The Helsinki Summit will go down in history as a successful event. It advanced agreement between the great powers - and I would dare to say even more broadly in the entire international community - about the way that security should be built in the century that will soon begin. What is most important is to avoid the present century's errors, which led to tragic bloodshed. Nations should build their greatness with the aid of their achievements, not by behaving in a hostile manner towards their environment. In the coming Europe no one will threaten anyone else and no one will feel threatened.

Indeed, I see the most important result of the Helsinki Summit as being a strengthening of understanding about the principles that should guide an integrating Europe.

I have told my high-ranking guests about current projects of the European Union and emphasised the importance of enlargement for the stability and security of the entire continent. I have also emphasised how important it is to bring about positive development in relations between Russia and the Baltic States. The Baltic Sea region and the whole of Northern Europe is on the threshold of promising new growth and development. That in turn presupposes stability and good-neighbourly relations. Positive solutions to problems must be found.

Both the United States and Russia recognise the significant role of the European Union in these matters. For that reason, interaction between the three should be deepened.

Regarding details, I can say that President Clinton and I also discussed questions of the UN's development. Bilateral matters that came up were the Americans' wishes concerning Finnair's aircraft procurements and on our part our concern about the treatment of Finnish paper manufacturers in the US market. We also discussed shipbuilding subsidies; efforts to achieve international agreement to ban them are, unfortunately, making little headway.

I wish to express my special joy at President Boris Yeltsin of the Russian Federation and Mrs Naina Yeltsin having paid a working visit to our country today. Their visit underscores the excellent state of relations between our countries. I was able to hear President Yeltsin's report on the summit that ended yesterday, we discussed cooperation in the Baltic Sea region, especially the development of relations between Russia and the Baltic States, security in Europe more broadly, relations between the European Union and Russia and prospects for the development of trade between our countries.

The possibilities of the new Europe are being seen also in Russia. Over the long term, the summit can be historic in precisely the sense that now Russia is becoming really involved in the structures of European integration.

To conclude, a few words about the summit.

The basic premise in all of its documents is an interpretation, correct from Finland's point of view, of what constitutes the foundation for European security: uniting all institutions in mutually-supportive interaction, avoiding the isolation of anyone and developing existing institutions to meet the challenges of the times. Finland has been able to make her contribution to promoting this development. Our line has received the full support and esteem of the presidents who have visited here.

I am very grateful to all who contributed to the success of the summit.