Int´l peace still possible through reforming, strengthening UN: Stubb

President Alexander Stubb on Tuesday said that an international system and peace are still possible through reforming and strengthening the United Nations.

Speaking at the Swedish Parliament during his visit to Stockholm, he, however, said that unfortunately, the veto in the UN Security Council means that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

“Finland’s foreign and security policy is based on value-based realism. This begins with a strong alliance with the European Union and NATO. At the same time, we are convinced that an international system and peace are still possible through reforming and strengthening the UN. Unfortunately, the veto in the UN Security Council means that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” said Stubb.

He said the post-Cold War era is over and the tools for cooperation have been transformed into weapons.

“The factors that should have united us all over the world – free movement, trade, technology, energy, information and currency – are now tearing us apart. The tools for cooperation have been transformed into weapons. So history did not end. The rest of the world did not turn out like Sweden and Finland,” said the President.

Pointing out the background of the relations between Finland and Sweden, he said that throughout the independence, Finland has maintained strong ties with Sweden.

“Your latitude was restricted by neutrality but taking Finland into account played a key role in this. We aspired to neutrality, not out of our own free will, but out of necessity,” he said.

“For us, the Russia question has always been an existential one. Today, Sweden and Finland enjoy greater latitude than ever before,” he added.

He said that the common path of the two neighbouring countries was not ended with NATO-membership.

“We are now literally inseparable, particularly with regard to defence and security policy. Consequently, we must continue the integration of our national defences with NATO as well as with each other,” said Stubb.

He said the shared responsibility for NATO defences in the Baltic region, Arctic region and regions bordering Russia is enormous.

“Our joint capacity in the air, at sea and on land is an essential part of NATO’s deterrence. This national capacity combined with our NATO and EU membership and the DCA (Defence Cooperation Agreement) with the United States make us more secure than we have ever been in our history,” said the President.

He said that in EU Finland and Sweden mostly chose a coordinated position, but occasionally took different paths.

“Because Finland wanted to be deeply integrated into the core of the EU, we chose to join the euro area. You may have been a bit more cautious about deeper integration, but that never affected our cooperation. After all, we had so much in common,” he said.

Stubb said that the best way to avoid war is to talk less and prepare more and Finland and Sweden play a key role in promoting peace.

“It sounds paradoxical, but that is precisely why we want a strong military and why we joined NATO,” he added.

Earlier on the day, the President and First Lady Suzanne Innes-Stubb arrived in Stockholm on a two-day state visit and members of the Swedish royal family welcomed the presidential couple at the Royal Palace in the morning.