RIYADH: Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, on a three-day official visit to the Kingdom, has expressed concerns over the new security measures that call for intensified checks and full-body scanning of air travelers, especially to and from 14 countries which include Saudi Arabia.
Stubb said that the terrorism was an international menace, and the new measure, in general, would impinge on people’s rights to privacy, irrespective of religion, race or gender. In an interview with Arab News, Stubb spoke about a range of bilateral, regional and international issues on which Riyadh and Helsinki share common views. He expressed his happiness during 90-minutes of talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
During his stay in Riyadh, he also met his Saudi counterpart Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs Prince Khaled bin Sultan and Bandar M. Al-Aiban, chief the National Human Rights Commission.
Referring to the reservations expressed by EU Chief Justice-designate Viviane Reding, who called on the 27 EU member nations not to rush into introducing full-body scanners, Stubb said: “As a former member of the European Parliament, I can tell you that the Parliament will never approve measures that create problems of health and privacy.” Similar views have been echoed by a number of EU and Gulf officials who are more concerned about women and the elderly.
Asked about the subject of his talks with high-ranking Saudi officials, the Finnish minister said that his talks mainly focused on the Middle East peace process, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iran, and EU and global interfaith dialogue in addition to bilateral issues. He said that the Arab initiative, expounded by King Abdullah, had received EU support. “We also believe that Saudi Arabia has a very important role as a mediator in the region,” he added. “We have to look at a comprehensive solution; it is not only Israel-Palestine, it’s also Israel-Syria, Israel-Lebanon, Iran, and many others,” he observed.
Asked about the current situation with Iran, Stubb said, “We should avoid military solutions. I would like to see more flexibility from the Iranian side.” He said that Iran did not adhere to UN Security Council resolutions, or to the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA]. “Now, if Iran does not respond, then we should go for sanctions, first by the United Nations, and then by the European Union,” he said.
On the volatile situation in Afghanistan, he said that he would attend the Jan. 28 London conference. “About 160,000 troops, perhaps going up to 200,000 soon, stationed in Afghanistan will not solve the problem,” he noted. The 68-nation London conference should focus on the future of Afghanistan, against the backdrop of major new military commitments by the US and NATO, and promises from the international community of increased civilian assistance, he said.
“I think Karzai government will have to take more responsibility,” he added.
Regarding Yemen, Stubb said that his mission was a fact-finding one. He said, “We must give our full support to the Yemeni government. Saudi Arabia has acted very well; it has defended its own borders but it did not meddle in the internal affairs of Yemen,” said Stubb. On the situation in Haiti, he said that the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had committed 1.25 million euros in humanitarian aid for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Stubb also extended his condolences to the families of UN peacekeepers killed in the quake.
