Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who visited Helsinki today, said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had also increased the desire in Ireland to increase security co-operation. However, he does not believe his country will apply for NATO in the near future.
Katriina Töyrylä,
Eelis Bjurström
7.6. 10:55 AM • Updated June 7th. 15:15
Foreign minister Pekka Haaviston (Green) says the military summit The Madrid Madrid Summit is important not only for Finland and Sweden because of their NATO applications, but also for the military alliance.
“Protecting its open door policy is a very important principle for NATO, and that is why I see NATO as an important moment for the forthcoming Madrid Summit,” Haavisto said at a joint press conference. With Simon Coveney.
Haavisto said that NATO must not only assess where Finland and Sweden are applying for membership, but also confirm that NATO has a mechanism for admitting new members.
According to him, many NATO countries are working to find a solution to a process that is stuck in Turkey’s demands on Finland and Sweden.
“Human rights must be upheld”
Haavisto agreed with President Sauli Niinistö’s assessment on Sunday that Turkey’s criticism of Finland and Sweden also applies to a large number of NATO countries, as their legislation and asylum policy are very similar to those of Finland and Sweden.
– In that sense, if there is anything to criticize, the criticism also applies to a large number of current NATO countries, the Foreign Minister said.
He also emphasized that Finland naturally complies with international human rights rules and agreements and that it is very important to keep them in force.
Coveney: Ireland is unlikely to apply for NATO any time soon
Irish Foreign Secretary Coveney said at a news conference that he was wary of commenting on NATO membership issues because Ireland is not a member. However, he wished Finland and Sweden good luck and said he would be surprised if their membership was not confirmed in the coming months.
He noted that the country was actively participating in the Western security debate and co-operation and was very committed to EU membership.
According to him, Ireland hopes to build on these partnerships. He believes Russia’s offensive war in Ukraine will increase Ireland’s willingness to cooperate, and the country is expected to increase its defense budget in the near future.
However, he considers it unlikely that Ireland will apply for NATO in the near future. He noted that the security debate in Ireland is somewhat different from that in Finland for geographical reasons.
Tight line on Russian atrocities and sanctions
The ministerial talks were dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They also discussed, among other things, the EU’s relationship with Britain. Brexit’s still open questions concern Ireland in particular, and Coveney praised Finland for its support.
On Ukraine, Coveney said they want to take a tough line on sanctions against Russia to keep the cost of continuing the war as high as possible. Similarly, Ireland is working to help the Ukrainian army and Ukrainian civilians.
Haavisto praised Ireland for hosting as many as 35,000 Ukrainian refugees and Coveney himself is hosting one family.
The President of France Emmanuel Macronin from the comment, Russia should not be humiliated, (you move to another service) the foreign ministers stated that the illegality and atrocities of the Russian war must be condemned and the perpetrators of war crimes brought to justice. In addition, the Ukrainians must be supported and the greatest possible deterrent must be imposed on Russia in the form of sanctions.
Coveney said he understood that Macron was working to ensure the road was open to dialogue that would at some point lead to a ceasefire. At the same time, however, one must be strict about what is right and wrong in war, he stressed.
Haavisto also considers it important to ensure that, whenever negotiations take place, Ukraine’s negotiating position is as strong as possible.
showed the ministers’ press conference live. You can view the recording of the event by clicking on the main image of this story.
Coveney will also visit Sweden on Tuesday, where he will meet with the foreign minister Ann Linden.