Diplomacy | Russia responded to the note sent by Finland – Haavisto: “you have to withstand sea water a bit in this situation”

Foreign minister Pekka Haavisto (vihr) said on Thursday that Russia has now responded to the note sent to it by Finland earlier in May.

The note touched Russia’s decision to freeze the bank accounts of Finnish embassies.

According to Haavisto, Russia’s thinking was based on the fact that they have had their own banking difficulties in Helsinki.

“We have been aware of these and have already tried to help the Russian embassy before,” Haavisto said.

He commented on the matter in Oslo, where he represented the Finnish Ministry of Defense at the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Haavisto stated that banks cannot decide on diplomatic relations and that the embassy must always be able to use some bank connection. According to him, Russia has some kind of proposal regarding banks in the note it sent to Finland on Thursday.

“It is currently being investigated whether it is one that can be used in this context.”

According to Haavisto, the Finnish mission in Moscow is in constant contact with the corresponding authorities in Russia, and the discussion continues.

Haavisto on Thursday also commented on the discussion about whether the Russian consulate in Mariehamn should be closed.

Former ambassador to Moscow Hannu Himanen last suggested this on Thursday In an interview with Yle.

“Of course, the operating conditions of the consulates are constantly reviewed. On the other hand, it is important for Finland that we have been able to have a consulate in St. Petersburg,” Haavisto said.

The consulate in St. Petersburg has been important to Finland because Finland has had some traffic across the border: for example families, employees and students, Haavisto reasoned.

Russia said earlier this weekthat it has decided to close the consulate of the Russian Embassy in Lappeenranta and the offices of the Consulate of Finland in St. Petersburg in Murmansk and Petrozavodsk at the beginning of July.

Finnish consulates had already been temporarily closed before, and the decision meant that they would be closed permanently.

Read more: Russia told about the closing of the consulates and accused Finland harshly, Haavisto: “Quite natural”

“We’ll see how this continues. We are in the same discussion and grind as all the member states of the European Union,” Haavisto said on Thursday.

“I wouldn’t dramatize this too much. You have to endure a bit of sea water in a situation like this.”