HELSINKI, 13 October 2006 — Finland, which heads the 25-nation European Union, yesterday firmly came out in support of India’s demand for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and also backed New Delhi’s measures to combat terrorism.
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, however, publicly stopped short of backing the India-US civil nuclear deal, which means a lot for New Delhi’s ambition to tap nuclear energy. But Indian officials were confident of Helsinki’s eventual backing, saying Finnish officials were sympathetic.
Vanhanen’s remarks came after bilateral discussions with Manmohan Singh, the first Indian prime minister to visit Finland in 20 years, and on a day India and the European Union concluded their seventh business summit with a pledge to deepen economic re;ations.
“I told Singh that Finland supports India’s permanent membership in the UN Security Council. We have made this kind of official decision,” Vanhanen said in his opening remarks at a news conference he addressed in the company of Manmohan at the House of the Estates.
“We started our discussion with terrorism. We have noted that prevention of terrorism is a global challenge. It must be encountered with a broadest possible cooperation,” the Finnish prime minister said.
Manmohan did not specify what kind of cooperation India and Finland would engage in to fight terrorism, but said he discussed with Vanhanen the need to strengthen international initiatives to battle terror attacks.
“India has been a victim of terrorism. I appreciate the support and solidarity extended by Finland,” he said without elaborating.
But Vanhanen was extremely guarded on the India-US civil nuclear deal which, when passed by the US Congress, would require the crucial support of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), of which Finland is a member, for New Delhi to get access to nuclear reactors and materials to meet its soaring energy needs. “EU does not have a position on the ... nuclear deal. I am not going to discuss our position,” he said. “I hope that India could take part in all those agreements that we have in the field of nuclear energy.”
Vanhanen, whose visit to India in March this year led to Manmohan’s trip, said he had “very fruitful exchange of views” with the Indian leader on bilateral and international issues.
The other dominant theme of the day’s proceedings was business, with Indian and European business leaders discussing threadbare ways to boost trade between them and Manmohan, who in 1991 unleashed sweeping economic reforms as finance minister in New Delhi, promising a more open Indian economy.
On a bilateral level too, Manmohan and Vanhanen discussed the vast complementarities between the two economies “which must be fully exploited.” India, the premier said, “was a safe, secure and profitable destination (for foreign investment).”
He explained that India’s young population could be an asset to Europe, where the number of aged now overwhelms the working population.
In his address to the India-EU business summit, Vanhanen said: “One clear message is that open markets and a level playing field for business and companies are essential factors for our competitiveness.”
Manmohan urged European companies “to participate actively in the vast infrastructure boom in India.”
“We are engaged with the European Union to evolve further formal mechanisms to promote trade and investments between the EU members and India.
“The fact remains that the present level of bilateral economic engagement is far below potential. I invite you to show the spirit of adventure and enterprise of your forefathers and set out to explore the opportunities in India once again.”
Among other subjects Manmohan and Vanhanen discussed were the situation in Sri Lanka, Nepal and North Korea. Both leaders called for an early resumption of the six-nation talks to deescalate tensions in the Korean peninsula following Pyongyang’s claim that it had exploded a nuclear weapon four days ago.
“We want the six-country talks to succeed,” Manmohan said. “Every country should make determined efforts to try and solve this vexed question.” Vanhanen echoed the sentiment: “It is important that North Korea comes back to six-party discussions. It is the only working way for this problem. North Korea should of course stop and end all nuclear weapons program.”
