RIYADH: Pekka Puustinen, undersecretary of state internal and external affairs for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, visited Saudi Arabia for the first time on Sunday, and discussed Finland’s foreign policy regarding the Israeli-Hamas conflict and Russia-Ukraine war.
In an interview with Arab News on the sidelines of the annual ambassadors’ meeting, Puustinen addressed the need for humanitarian aid to reach civilians in Gaza.
“Immediate access to humanitarian aid to Gaza is crucial,” he said.
On the Israeli-Hamas war, he said: “The Finnish stance is very clear. We are for an immediate ceasefire, finishing off the hostilities, immediate release of all the hostages, on both sides. And then this two-state solution, which is not easy to achieve, but the trust must be restored in the region.”
Referring to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Puustinen said that “Russia should be stopped.”
He said: “The illegal Russian attack against Ukraine is actually a blatant, breach of all the international confidence and international agreements.
“We are very concerned about that — Russia should be stopped. They should withdraw from Ukrainian soil, and everything should be done (so) that this won’t happen again.”
He added: “If Russia is not stopped in Ukraine, they will continue elsewhere.”
Puustinen also discussed Saudi-Finnish ties, saying that cooperation is “growing fast.”
“We enjoy a really good relationship nowadays, and we are very happy with the societal opening up of your country as well,” he said.
The Finnish official highlighted that there is a common interest between the two countries in the fields of industrial production, new technologies, energy, mining, and green advances.
Puustinen said he would like to see cooperation grow, with greater investment on both sides.
“We would like to see, of course, increased investments in both directions.
“These large projects under the Vision 2030, in your country, really offer ample opportunities for Finnish companies because of the know-how we can offer.
“I’m predicting a lot of increase (in trade). In the latest figures I have on trade between the two countries, there was an increase of more than 10 percent last year. It’s a huge increase. And if it continues, it’s very welcome news for all of us.”
Puustinen said that Finnish companies are leaders in investment in infrastructure, mining, energy efficiency, and trade, including paper export.
“Finland is one of the leading countries in providing solutions, durable or sustainable solutions,” he said.
He also highlighted that Finland, similar to Saudi Arabia, has a focus on environmental protection.
Puustinen commended Saudi Arabia on its selection to host Expo 2030.
“I want to commend the Saudi Arabian government because you won the bid to become the host of Expo 2030. So it’s rather symbolic to be hosting that in the same year (Vision 2030).
“And, actually, it’s 2030 when the Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations should also be achieved. So, it’s very symbolic,” he said.
