By Ayushi Agarwal
New Delhi [India], November 2 : Jukka Salovaara, the Permanent State Secretary of Finland on his India visit "strongly condemned" the recent attack by Hamas on Israel, aligning Finland's stance with the "European view".
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Salovaara on Thursday emphasised importance of a two-state solution and the protection of civilians in the region. According to Salovaara, the two-state solution is widely seen as the "best solution" to lasting peace.
"We strongly condemn the attack of Hamas on Israel. The Finnish view on the whole issue is very much the European view - that is- the two-state solution would be the best solution. The ensuring protection of civilians is essential," the Permanent State Secretary of Finland said.
He also talked about several key international issues during his visit to India. His comments also encompassed Finland's NATO membership, the India-Finland relationship, and maritime cooperation.
On his visit to India, Salovaara participated in Foreign Office Consultations between the Finnish Foreign Ministry and India's Ministry of External Affairs. "In our talks yesterday we noted how good the relationship between India and Finland is...The geo-political landscape was also discussed in our meeting. You have the war in Ukraine, and now the events in the Middle East in Gaza," he said.
Regarding the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, Salovaara expressed confidence in the project's long-term prospects, noting its inherent logic. He believed that connectivity projects, like IMEC, hold great promise. "This is a long-term project, and there is logic in the project. So, I am confident that connectivity projects have a lot of promise," said the Permanent State Secretary of Finland.
Salovaara also discussed Finland's recent decision to join NATO, becoming its 31st member, which according to him was a "very sensible move in this situation". He explained that this move was prompted by "Russia's aggression and the attack on Ukraine", which altered Finland's perception of its security.
"We'll be an active NATO member and Finland joining NATO was a very sensible move in this situation. We had no earlier plans to join...but Russia's aggression and attack on Ukraine changed our perception. We have an aggressive neighbour that attacked another neighbour, so NATO is good for our protection...It was us knocking on NATO's door and asking to be admitted as a member for our own security," he said.
Salovaara pointed out the potential for a strong partnership between India and Finland, especially in the areas of technology and renewable energy. He highlighted the growing Indian diaspora in Finland, particularly in the IT sector, and the opportunities for collaboration on technology-related projects.
He also noted that "both Finland and India are strong maritime nations" and candidates for re-election to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council. He highlighted the potential for collaboration on sustainability issues in maritime transport, saying, "Both Finland and India are strong Maritime nations...I'm sure Finland and India can work together on many issues for example sustainability issues in maritime transport are very strong with us and we can make a good contribution."
Finland and India have traditionally enjoyed warm and friendly relations. In the recent past, there has been a perceptible increase in the level of engagement, both political and commercial.
Finland sees in India a large market for its products and a favourable investment destination for its high-technology industries whereas India views Finland as an important member of the EU and a repository of modern technology, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
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