Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at the banquet for President of Armenia Robert Kocharian, 6 November 2007

(check against delivery)

My husband and I take great pleasure in once again welcoming you, Mr President and Mrs Kotsharian, to Finland. This is the first ever official visit to Finland by a President of Armenia, and highlights the excellent relations between our two countries.

My husband and I had the pleasure of visiting your beautiful country and enjoying your hospitality in Yerevan two years ago. I was interested to see the development that has taken place in your country since my visit in 1996 in connection with the Minsk Process. I was then the Foreign Minister.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, has contributed significantly to the relations between Finland and Armenia: we entered into diplomatic relations in Helsinki in March 1992 in the margins of the OSCE Foreign Ministers meeting. The Minsk Process was also launched on that occasion.

Finland is now preparing to take up the Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2008. We will do our best to help find a solution to the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. I trust that active diplomatic efforts within the Minsk Process will continue in the coming year. A lasting solution must be found to the conflict, not only for Armenia’s sake but for the sake of the future of the whole Southern Caucasus. The unresolved conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhasia and Southern Ossetia undermine the development of stability, wellbeing and good neighbourly relations in the entire region.

We are looking forward to working with you and other participating states during our OSCE Chairmanship and we aim to work in the same transparent and cooperative manner than previously. We consider the OSCE an important organization which still has a lot to contribute, particularly in the strengthening of democratic institutions in the OSCE area.

As members of the OSCE, Finland and Armenia are committed to shared values such as democracy, the rule of law, human rights and freedom of speech, including freedom of the press. Respecting and fulfilling these values in our everyday lives will lead to political stability, security, economic growth and people’s wellbeing.

We Finns value your efforts in the area of democratic reform. I encourage you to continue with the implementation of international recommendations in a thorough manner and I hope that the progress will continue to take place in the elections to be held next February. There is no shortcut to reform, and there are no easy solutions.

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In addition to being participating countries in the OSCE, Finland and Armenia are also members of the Council of Europe. Developing our continent is our common goal.

The importance of the European Union is also significant in this respect. During Finland’s EU Presidency, we worked actively to bring Armenia into the sphere of the European Neighbourhood Policy. This policy offers a more efficient way of channelling EU aid to the implementation of the reforms which your country itself has set as goals. Relations between the EU and Armenia were given a new and concrete meaning with the Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Armenia is now vigorously implementing the agreed reforms.

The EU has pursued more active relations with the Black Sea region. We Finns are very pleased about this and we are willing to share our experiences of the Baltic Sea cooperation, which today is very close indeed. Cooperation in the Black Sea region offers the potential not only for regional interaction but also for improved bilateral relations and mutual trust between countries in the region.

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Your country has a long and fascinating history and valuable traditions. The rich culture of Armenia and your position as the world’s first Christian nation are things which many people already know about your country. Your strong national feeling is rooted in your magnificent heritage of art and music, as well as in your beautiful, rugged natural environment.

For centuries, Armenians have travelled the world and traded in distant lands. In today’s globalized world, nations are increasingly dependent on one another. This gives us excellent possibilities to develop trade relations also between our two countries.

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We have to take better care of our common world. At the United Nations in particular, we can promote issues that we consider important, whether it be combating climate change, sustainable development or a fairer globalization.


Mr President, allow me to propose a toast to you and your wife, to the prosperity and happiness of the Armenian people and to cooperation between our two countries.