Cablegate: Finland: Demarche Request On the Goldstone Report

VZCZCXYZ0003
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHHE #0412 3090528
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050528Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5254
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0116

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000412

SIPDIS

IO/HR FOR PKRUCHOWSKI; IO/UNP FOR AMORRISON; NEA/IP FOR
JGIAUQUE; USUN NEW YORK FOR EGERMAIN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: FI PREL
SUBJECT: FINLAND: DEMARCHE REQUEST ON THE GOLDSTONE REPORT

REF: STATE 112828

1. Pol/Econoff delivered reftel remarks to Kirsti
Pohjankukka First Secretary for Human Rights Policy at the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Pohjankukka responded to USG's
concern that the possible resolution may have an adverse
impact on the peace process by stating that the peace process
is GOF's priority on this issue. At the same time, she
stressed that GOF respects U.N. reports and sees this as an
important one. She followed that immediately by saying that
the parties involved in the conflict should be the ones to
take up the issues.

2. Pohjankukka noted that there is currently no common E.U.
position but she expressed the expecation that the E.U. would
arrive at a common position shortly. She agrees that the
mandate of the Goldstone mission was very one-sided and that
it was important that the authors broadened their scope to
address Hamas' actions. Addressing the concern that any
resolution based on the report likely would also be
one-sided, she again brought up how the authors had taken the
initiative to broaden the scope of the mandate.
ORECK

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