SPEECH BY PRESIDENT MARTTI AHTISAARI AT A DINNER

HOSTED BY THE FEDERAL COUNCIL OF SWITZERLAND AT THE LOHN ESTATE ON 27.10.1997

Please permit me, Mr. President, to express my heartiest thanks for your invitation, your kind words and also for the cordial reception that my wife and I and our party have been given today in Switzerland and here in Kehrsatz on the Lohn Estate with its wealth of history. On this first day in your wonderful country, in the economic metropolis of Zurich and your federal capital Bern with its historically valuable Old Town, we are particularly impressed by the cordiality that we have encountered in the Swiss. I am very pleased with that and see in it an expression of the genuine friendship that has developed down through the decades, especially since the Second World War. Despite the relatively great geographical distance between us, our people know each other well and mutual goodwill dominates our relations.

I should like in this connection to highlight some of the key features of relations between Finland and Switzerland. We have many things in common. One example is the Finnish colony here, which is nowadays fairly large. Our compatriots enjoy their new homeland and have therefore settled in well. Complementary to official contacts, friendship societies and other organisations of Finnish origin make a very important contribution to cherishing the excellent relations between our countries. I have also heard many people say that the Finns and the Swiss resemble each other a lot more than one would suppose.

One thing that the Finns and the Swiss have very much in common is a love of liberty.

Many of the political solutions and methods that we have adopted in the post-war period are similar. Emulating Switzerland's earlier example, Finland has pursued a policy of neutrality and accordingly remained aloof from conflicts between the great powers. Both of us have often striven to play an active, constructive role in international organisations and have cooperated closely with each other within them. Examples have included the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) and its successor body the OSCE, as well as several UN agencies. Our cooperation in this respect will certainly continue.

In the current security situation in Europe, Finland has pursued a foreign and security policy in which the essential elements are an independent defence and non-participation in military alliances, together with a preparedness to contribute to security arrangements that are based on cooperation. The European Union has become an anchor of stability in Europe. Enlargement of the Union is very important in this sense.

The Finns and the Swiss have similar views on international questions of shared and general interest. I am convinced that our friendly sentiments towards each other, our shared perceptions of democracy, the rule of law, equality, respect for human rights, the market economy, social justice, stable development, public safety and peaceful settlement of international conflicts, are valuable elements on which to develop our relations further.

It is of great importance to Finland that our good, constructive and active relations with this country in such a central geographical position in Europe continue to develop irrespective of the different solutions that we have adopted in the sectors of politics and trade policy. Cooperation between our two countries has given us nothing but positive experience. May it remain so!

With these words, I wish to thank you for your hospitality. I ask you, ladies and gentlemen, to raise your glasses with me in a toast to the wellbeing of President and Mrs. Koller and the Federal Councillors as well as to the good fortune of the Confederation and the Swiss people and the further development of the exemplary relations between our countries.