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National

Strategic India-EU ties favoured

Special Correspondent

Finland supports India's bid for a permanent U.N. Security Council seat

NEW DELHI: Finland favours a strategic relationship between the European Union (EU) and India which has so far been “driven by economy.''

“India is not just a regional player. Its ties with Pakistan are very important, its thinking on Afghanistan crucial as is its relationship with Iran; it plays an important role in multilateral organisations and is a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions. If we link these to the fact that it is a big democracy, there is need for a strategic relationship,'' Finland's Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb told newspersons here on Tuesday.

Mr. Stubb had called on National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon and interacted with his counterpart S.M. Krishna during his first visit to the country.

A firm proponent of multi-polarity, Mr. Stubb thought the EU was very crises-focussed and tended to overlook the need to forge strategic alliances with countries such as China, India, Brazil and Russia that are emerging as independent poles in the financial world.

It is in line with this thinking that he supports India's bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat but feels the EU should make do with one seat. This means that according to Finland, France and England should give up their seats and Germany abandon its ambitions of permanent membership. “The UN was created in a different global context. The world looks different now and the UNSC should reflect that reality,'' he said.

During his interactions, Mr. Stubb outlined the new Lisbon Treaty and discussed regional issues such as Afghanistan-Pakistan, Iran, terrorism and EU-India relations. Though not a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) member, Finland has a small contingent as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in northern Afghanistan. Finland feels instead of a military solution the world must attempt a comprehensive approach in Afghanistan which should include reintegration of all components of the ethnic mosaic in that country.

On Jammu & Kashmir, Mr. Stubb favoured a multilateral solution as over 60 years of attempting a resolution through bilateral means had been futile.

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