Vladimir Džabarov, who sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federal Council, claims that a large number of Russians don’t even want to visit Finland anymore.
Jussi Nurminen,
Heikki Heiskanen
The citizens’ initiative in Finland to close the Russian consulate in Åland arouses indignation in the upper house of the Russian parliament, or the Federation Council.
First Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federal Council Vladimir Jabarov says state-controlled for the RT channelthat Finland is now “in a pro-NATO rage”.
– After becoming a member of NATO, they want to please their new masters and show that they are loyal allies of the North Atlantic bloc, Džabarov says.
The citizens’ initiative pushing for the abolition of the Russian consulate in Åland has collected the necessary documents for parliamentary consideration 50,000 signatures.
– The Finnish Parliament reacts as expected and supports it [Venäjän konsulaatin] closure, Dzabarov anticipates.
In the initiative, the termination is justified by the fact that the consulate limits and endangers Finland’s security now that Finland is a member of the military alliance NATO.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland is currently preparing a legal report on the special status of Åland. It also deals with the consulate.
Džabarov believes that Finland is only harming itself with such actions.
– Frankly speaking, they act to the detriment of their country, and they are already starting to realize it. But I think the future will convince them even more strongly that they are wrong.
“Finland will soon turn into a third-class country”
Džabarov tells RT that tourism to Finland has decreased sharply because Russian citizens no longer travel to Finland.
– There are fewer and fewer Russians who want to visit Finland. Finland’s economy was largely sustained by our gas, our forest and our deliveries, Džabarov claims.
According to him, Finland used to sell a large amount of goods to Russia for which there is no demand in Europe.
– Very soon that [Suomi] turns into a third-class country in Europe. We are truly sorry, because Finns are a work-loving people and it has always been a pleasure to work with them.
– But they came under the pressure and influence of the Americans and were unable to resist it, Džabarov concludes.
This is how people demonstrated outside the consulate in Mariehamn in July: