FINROSFORUM

FINROSFORUM

FINROSFORUM  //  The Finnish-Russian Civic Forum strives to promote cooperation between the peoples of Finland and Russia by supporting civic initiatives for democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech.

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Jul 20 / 5:12pm

FINROSFORUM 2010 | Address to Finnish and Russian Presidents

by Kerkko Paananen

Address to the Presidents of Finland and the Russian Federation by participants of the 4th annual Finnish-Russian Civic Forum, FINROSFORUM 2010

Helsinki, 20 July 2010

Dear President Halonen,
Dear President Medvedev,

While you are meeting today in Finland, we, representatives of Russian and Finnish civil societies, are also gathering here to discuss how non-governmental actors can contribute to cooperation between our two nations and to building a common European space based on the principles of democracy, rule of law and human rights. We would like to draw your attention to the following concerns, which are in the centre of our discussions today.

Like you, dear Presidents, we also want to see Russia a modern and prosperous country. However, we believe that without ensuring fundamental freedoms, building strong democratic institutions and an independent judiciary any technological modernisation efforts will fail. It goes without saying that free and fair elections and independence of the media are essential to this process.

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Filed under // EU Finland FINROSFORUM Foreign Policy Halonen Human Rights Medvedev Russia

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Jun 23 / 9:10am

Where Is Russia?

by Kerkko Paananen

"We are not a member of the EU, but we are a European country," said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in an interview with Western journalists on the eve of the G-20 summit and a key meeting with President Barack Obama in Toronto. His words are worth thinking about.

The Russia we know today has been looking for its place in the world ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union 20 years ago. Stripped of the shell of Soviet empire, the country’s identity has been in flux. The search is at once geopolitical, philosophical and profoundly psychological.

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Filed under // Eastern Partnership Economy EU Europe Foreign policy Opinion Reset Russia USA

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Jun 21 / 2:25pm

Helping Russia Modernize

by Kerkko Paananen

The global financial crisis has hit Russia hard. The country’s gross domestic product declined almost 9 percent in 2009, and income from energy sales have dropped sharply. Inflation and unemployment are both rising, and the number of anti-government protests is increasing across the country. Against this background, Medvedev has sought to highlight the need for a thorough political and economic modernization of Russia. He has described Russia as "a primitive and chronically corrupt economy based on raw materials" and fixated on the old habit of relying on the state to solve its problems.

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Filed under // Economy EU Foreign policy Medvedev Modernization Russia

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Jun 21 / 9:25am

EU-Russia human rights talks have little impact

by Kerkko Paananen

Lack of hard evidence, boilerplate answers from Russian envoys and poor follow-up have seen EU-Russia human rights talks add up to little more than diplomats getting to know each other. EU delegates at the 11th EU-Russia "human rights consultations," held in Brussels on 28 April 2010, gave the Russian side a list of needling questions about 31 individual cases, including big names such as oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and anti-fraud lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, as well as several hardly-known victims. The union did not receive any real answers to its queries in April and it does not expect to receive any at the 12th round of talks under the upcoming Belgian EU presidency. "We have never learned anything we did not know already," an EU contact said.

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Filed under // Caucasus Diplomacy EU Foreign policy Human rights Russia

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Jun 10 / 7:01pm

The Pied Pipers of Putinism

by Kerkko Paananen

Four civic activists and Russia experts in Finland have published a statement condemning the actions of the so-called Finnish "Anti-Fascist" Committee (SAFKA) and Kremlin's parallel propaganda campaign against Finland. The statement's signatories call on Finnish public opinion to give its assessment of the committee's actions. The authors state that Russia's habit of doing politics on the situation of distressed people living in Finland is unacceptable.

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Filed under // Finland Foreign policy Johan Bäckman Kremlin Propaganda Putinism Russia SAFKA

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May 12 / 5:28am

Reset: Russia's New Foreign-Policy Doctrine

by Kerkko Paananen

In a confidential report, Russia outlined a shift toward a more pragmatic foreign policy aimed at building closer ties with the United States and Europe to help modernize its outdated industries. The program detailed a shift away from the more confrontational line the Kremlin had taken in past years. It singled out the Obama administration for praise for its more cooperative approach to Moscow. A Russian official confirmed the authenticity of the document, which was addressed to President Dmitry Medvedev by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. It was first reported by Russian Newsweek, which ran the document's full text on its website.

A Kremlin spokesman said the program has not been officially approved. But some elements, such as a deal with the US to reduce nuclear weapons, have already been implemented. Its spirit was reflected when US and European troops for the first time marched alongside Russian forces during Moscow's annual military parade marking the end of World War II. The report also includes insights into Moscow's relationships with former Soviet republics. It calls for taking advantage of the global financial crisis to acquire industrial and energy assets in the Baltics, Belarus, Ukraine and Central Asia -- all areas where Russian influence is a sensitive political issue.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703565804575238291897667152.html

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Filed under // EU Foreign Policy Medvedev Perezagruzka Reset Russia USA

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Jan 13 / 5:43pm

Russia in an Era of Uncertainty

by Kerkko Paananen

Moscow was able to consolidate its domestic authority and assert itself globally during Russia’s economic boom, but economic, security, and governance crises have shaken the regime's confidence, according to a policy paper by Sam Greene and Dmitry Trenin of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"As the Kremlin centralized power, leaders cut themselves off from public feedback, leading to a disconnect between realities and several disastrous policy initiatives. While the Kremlin is slowly opening to outside opinions, it must rebuild trust among officials and nongovernmental experts if it is to revive a true dialogue," the authors contend.

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=24658

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Filed under // Diplomacy EU Foreign Policy Russia USA

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