A small group of countries could advance more quickly than others, only temporarily, and only if it were absolutely essential to do so. No new arrangements would be accepted in the basic regulations of the internal market they should apply to all member countries in the same way. Special arrangements would not be adopted unless they were supported by a minimum number of countries, later to be decided. Finland's ten-point programme includes a proposal that flexibility should be permitted to all member countries wishing to apply the principle. Earlier in the week, Finland's EU ambassador, Antti Satuli, presented Finland's position to the institutional committee of (the European) parliament. Member countries agreed unanimously that EU rules should permit some members to advance more quickly and further than others. For her part, defence minister Taina told MTV 3 (Finnish commercial television) news that nothing had occurred that would give a reason to change (Finland's) policy of (military) non-alignment.Īt the intergovernmental conference in Brussels delegates disagreed over which rules would be governed by flexibility. In Norrback's view, Finland and Sweden should walk in step on the NATO issue because the two countries' starting points in security policy were now considerably closer than during the Cold War. He said the main thing was for Finland not be left like a bystander, suddenly realising that it had been excluded from security arrangements. Mr Norrback hoped that the government's forthcoming white paper on defence and security would evaluate various security policy options, including the possibility of joining (NATO). He said it was odd that in Finland the possibility of membership was not even analysed when, at the same time, former communist countries were joining the organisation. In an interview with the newspaper Aamulehti, the minister of European affairs, Ole Norrback, said that the government should openly consider the possibility of NATO membership. He regarded an enlarging and strengthening EU as the best partner for Russia and for other major players in the international community. He emphasised that the Finnish government adhered to the view that the key to European security lay in economic and political integration. The President reiterated the remarks on security policy that he made in a speech in Keuruu (central Finland) in December. He spoke of the need for the EU to shoulder responsibility when the strength of a member state needed a boost. President Ahtisaari regarded the strengthening of the EU as justified in international political terms. He pointed out that Finland's decision to take part or not would be made by parliament which would have to weigh the consequences of remaining outside EMU. The President spoke of EMU as a pillar of European economic stability. One of the key themes of President Martti Ahtisaari's New Year address was European economic and monetary union, EMU, and Finland's possible participation in it.
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