“Turu does not need Russia’s presence in the city,” said mayor Minna Arve on Monday. Before the war, Turku cooperated closely with the city of St. Petersburg. Now the connections are frozen.
Turku mayor Minna Arve (kok) wants to close the Russian Consulate General in Turku. He released his statement Monday morning on Twitter. In his tweet, he hoped that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would start discussions on the abolition of the consulate.
“This position of mine has developed over a long period of time,” Arve tells HS.
Turku has already frozen the city’s relations with Russia and the twin city of St. Petersburg. This is of course the result of the war started by Russia in Ukraine.
A scar justifies his lack of discussion by the fact that there is no practical need for a consulate.
“In the current situation, there is no need to maintain such a comprehensive representation network. Tourist visas are issued clearly less than before, so I understand that the main task of the consulate is now to assist Russian citizens in Finland who need help. If necessary, such matters would be handled at the embassy in Helsinki,” Arve points out.
In recent years, Turku has cooperated closely, especially with St. Petersburg. At the moment, however, the massive representation on the outskirts of the city center is mostly a touchstone. HS reported on Monday about a housing association where the Russian Consul General’s official residence arouses resistance among other residents.
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Arve says that Turku itself cannot influence the fate of the consulate, because the representation has been agreed upon in the state treaty between Finland and Russia. However, in his opinion, it would be time to discuss narrowing the consular network.
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