Cablegate: Finnish Views On Possible Unsc Action On Piracy

VZCZCXRO5608
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV
DE RUEHHE #0091 0650734
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050734Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0089
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4109
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000091

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/E, AF/RSA, IO/UNP, EEB/TRA/OTP, OES/OA, AND L

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KCRM PBTS UN UNSC IMO SO XA XW FI
SUBJECT: FINNISH VIEWS ON POSSIBLE UNSC ACTION ON PIRACY
OFF OF SOMALI COAST

REF: STATE 18101

(SBU) PolChief delivered reftel demarche Feb. 25 to
Claus-Jerker Lindroos, Counselor for Somalia in the Finnish
MFA's Unit for Africa. On March 2, Lindroos contacted us to
offer the following response:

-- Regarding the question of interdicting piracy off the
Somali coast, Lindroos said that the GoF understands the
seriousness of the problem and supports multilateral
operations to stem it. However, the limited resources of the
Finnish armed forces would make it "very unlikely" that
Finland would be able to offer naval assets for participation
in such an effort.

-- As for a possible UN initiative, Lindroos noted that
"Finland would look favorably" on a UN resolution that
included authorization to conduct multilateral naval
operations in Somali territorial waters to combat piracy. He
added that the GoF fully shares the US view that such a
resolution must be based on a Somali TFG request and include
its active participation.
WARE

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