According to President Stubb, Finland’s foreign policy is based on values, which also include the defense of sexual and gender minorities.
NEW YORK. This week, the President of the Republic, Alexander Stubb, will participate in the UN General Assembly for the first time in New York in a tense world situation.
There are also tensions at home.
President Stubb criticized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in his press conference for Finnish journalists on Monday, and implied that there are differences of opinion in Finland’s foreign policy leadership.
The comments were joined by the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavion (ps) to the decision that Finland would leave the equality alliance related to the reconstruction of Ukraine. MTV reported last weekthat Tavio decided this way because the alliance was also supposed to promote the issue of sexual and gender minorities. In an interview with MTV, Tavio did not deny the interpretation.
– I hope that in the future we will not see similar mistakes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that the president is not informed about matters that belong to the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation but are related to our foreign and security policy, Stubb said.
Stubb says he is due to talk to the Prime Minister Petteri Orpon with the next meeting of the president of the republic and the government’s foreign and security policy ministerial committee more broadly about Finland’s support for sexual and gender minorities as part of Finland’s foreign policy.
Israel policy is guided by “value-based realism”
The main themes of the UN General Assembly are Russia’s war in Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza. Israel’s devastating attacks on Lebanon also require attention.
Last week, the UN adopted a statement condemning Israel’s illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories and calling for its end within 12 months. Finland voted in favor of the statement.
According to Stubb, the decision was right, because Finland’s foreign policy is based on respect for international law.
– If the international court has been of the opinion that Israeli settlements are illegal, then we will support it in the vote. It’s the Finnish line.
Stubb says that Finland is not “pro-Israel” or “pro-Palestine”, but strives for peace mediation.
Last week, Stubb justified Finland’s ongoing arms trade with Israel with so-called “value-based realism”, and opened up the term further in New York. According to him, value-based realism means that good solutions are found based on values.
According to Stubb, these values include democracy, freedom, human rights and international law.
– Actually, all the basic principles on which the UN Charter is based. We strongly believe in them. That is why we are calling for UN reform, says Stubb.
Stubb has proposed that the UN waive the right of veto of the permanent members of the Security Council. He is scheduled to give Finland’s official general assembly address on Wednesday.
During the week, Stubb will meet, among other things, the Secretary General of the UN Antonio GuterresPresident of Ukraine to Volodymyr Zelensky and the president of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas.