SPEECH BY PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC MARTTI AHTISAARI
AT A BANQUET IN HONOUR OF PRESIDENT JACQUES AND MADAME BERNADETTE CHIRAC
IN HELSINKI ON 10.5.1999

It has been a very pleasant task for me to welcome you to Finland today. We have been able to discuss many burning international issues against the background of a situation that is very grave, not least because of the Kosovo crisis. Your visit comes at a time that from Finland’s point of view is very challenging also in many other respects. We are now busy with preparations for the beginning of July, when we shall be assuming the demanding tasks of the EU Presidency for the very first time.


Our fundamental laws were written in the spirit of Montesquieu’s theory of the separation of powers. For us Finns, France represents the enormous source of strength that is inherent in the values, history and culture of the Europeans. Your philosophers created the foundation of the pan-European values that most recently found expression in the Charter for a New Europe adopted at the OSCE summit in Paris. Democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law and the freedom of the individual are part of the foundation of values that we share.

Respect for these principles will never be something that we can take for granted.

The shocking events in the Balkans have been a nightmare for the whole of the 1990s. A deepening of the Kosovo crisis was predictable, but no negotiations defused the menacing development. The international community had to intervene forcefully in the course of events. Ethnic persecution must be brought to an end, the refugees must be able to return safely to their homes and, with the support of the international community, lasting conditions in which life can again follow its normal course must be created in Kosovo.

The restoration of peace in Kosovo will not, however, be enough. The international community will have to work with the countries of the region to devise a comprehensive plan for long-term peaceful development in south-east Europe. The preparatory work for this process has already begun. Here, the European Union bears the principal responsibility.


Finland will soon be shouldering the responsibilities of the EU presidency. In that light, what could be more apt than your visiting our country at just this time, Mr. President? You symbolise Europe.

The political weight of the European Union is increasing as it gains economic strength and assumes new tasks, but also because it is enlarging. Enlargement will consolidate the Union’s position as the anchor of prosperity and security and as the locomotive of development in Europe.

Finland considers it important that progress is made in the process of enlargement, and that all candidate countries are supported. We must make certain that the European Council meeting in Helsinki strengthens faith on the part of all applicants that membership will become a reality for them.

The EU must be reformed at the same time.

The Union and its members must acknowledge their responsibility for their citizens and the whole of Europe, and they must display leadership in global contexts. Openness, fairness and a life that is secure both economically and politically are essential needs for all of us.

I believe that here our views concur.

In the Presidency, Finland will bear a special responsibility for finding constructive solutions. We shall need the support of all members states, and we are confident that France will give us valuable assistance.

Pressures to develop the EU’s common foreign and security policy have grown.

The fact that the first common political strategy drafted by the EU concerned Russia emphasises our neighbour’s central importance to the Union. Russia’s economic difficulties and the Kosovo crisis have demonstrated how real Russia’s significance is. Russia must not be isolated nor allowed to isolate herself, but rather integrated constructively into the rest of Europe. The same applies to the Euro-Atlantic security order. Finland’s initiative concerning the Northern Dimension of the EU supports these goals.


French culture has always been highly esteemed in Finland. In the Middle Ages there were more students from Finland in Paris than from any of the Scandinavian countries. The great ideals of the French Revolution took root in Finland as our country was creating national institutions in our capacity as a grand duchy within the Russian Empire. Our country’s strong civil society was born and began to grow during that period of transition. These institutions have enabled us to evolve to the point where we could take a place among our continent’s most advanced societies, despite the heavy burdens that our history has at times required us to bear.

During the difficult years of the Cold War, the national leaderships of Finland and France were often able to agree on common goals in order to ensure stability in our continent. We were on the side of peace, against war. In the big questions of international politics, we were on the same side.

An end to the Cold War was a distant goal. When it became a reality a decade ago, relations between our countries rapidly grew closer. Here, integration played a key role. By the time Finland became a member of the European Union in 1995, our relations had risen to a new level. Our pre-accession negotiations put the final polish on this transformation. France became a member state that was close to us, and one that we found we could appreciate.

The key role that France played in the birth and development of European cooperation is well-known to us Finns. In this context, I would like to quote the historic words of Robert Schuman: "It is no longer a time for vain words, but for a bold, constructive act. France has acted, and the consequences of her action may be immense…"

Given the situation in which Finnish foreign policy then had to function, Schuman’s words were not immediately accorded the attention that they deserved in Finland. But now that we are members of the EU, a tangible understanding of France’s central importance in European integration is beginning to dawn in Finland.

Today’s dynamic France is becoming familiar to Finns. Indeed, the everyday problems of the French farmer are no longer alien matters to us. In France, reciprocally, representatives of Finnish culture - from film directors to a great number of conductors, singers and musicians - have risen to prominence in the public eye alongside the rally and Formula One drivers that have been there for a long time. I am sure that Ari Vatanen, whose presence here gives me great pleasure, will agree.

There is no Europe without respect for the continent’s diversity and cultural richness. World-wide integration is a fact in the cultural sense. But it ought not to threaten the distinctiveness of different traditions. We must not erect dividing lines between civilisations, instead, we must build a world in which civilisations live in a sense of fellowship. In a world like that, both the French and the Finns can feel at home.


Europe still lacks internal unity and has lost economic competitiveness. The faster pace of economic development in the United States is a challenge, not a problem.

We Finns are very pleased to note the growing interest that French companies and authorities are showing in the Finnish and northern European markets.

It is Finland’s hope that cooperation in technology sectors that interest both countries will strengthen the competitiveness of our continent.

Since the visits of Prime Minister Jospin and Culture Minister Trautman the information society has become one of the most important fields of cooperation between France and Finland. We should have an ability to combine our strengths creatively in various sectors of expertise.

One of Finland’s aims during her stint at the helm of the EU will be to present a comprehensive conception of the opportunities that the information society offers and of goals in relation to it. Development must be based on a high level of knowledge and innovative know-how as well as on exploitation of modern information and communications technology. But it is equally important to pay attention to the content of the information society and make sure that people rather than machines are its centrepoint.

Cultural cooperation between countries has been growing strongly. Examples of this include the numerous cultural events that are taking place in many places in France in honour of our EU Presidency.

The Finns have always been interested in the French language and culture, but with our membership of the EU the number of people studying French has nearly trebled in only a few years. Finnish and Swedish are official languages of the European Union. We are working together with you in an effort to promote opportunities to study Finnish at French universities.


Our upcoming Presidency of the EU will undoubtedly be demanding and busy. Here in Helsinki we are convinced that cooperation founded on the common will of the member states will provide an excellent starting point from which to face the challenges of the new millennium. Our continent needs new visions for its future and the European Council meeting in Helsinki will have to provide them. It will be a great honour for Finland to pilot Europe into the new millennium.