国际英语资讯:Swedish election results would have no impact on Finlands security policy: FM_时事

国际英语资讯:Swedish election results would have no impact on Finlands security policy: FM

HELSINKI, Sept. 10 -- Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said on Monday he believed the Swedish election results would have no impact on the Finnish security and foreign policy.

Soini said he believed "the good line between Finland and Sweden" would continue irrespective of what kind of government will be formed in Sweden.

Finnish Defense Minister Jussi Niinisto on Monday dismissed the alternative that "a weak government in Sweden" would not be able to maintain the Finnish-Swedish defense cooperation. Niinisto said he believed the cooperation with Finland has a wide political backing in Sweden.

Commentators in Finland and Sweden said, however, that Swedish parties have different approaches on possible Swedish membership in NATO. Even though no government would be likely to apply for a membership in the coming parliamentary period, preparations could start depending on the color of the government.

Commenting on the statement by Soini, Kai Jaskari, a Swedish guest commentator of the Finnish public broadcaster Yle, reminded that all the four parties of the Swedish "non-socialist alliance" endorse Sweden joining NATO.

Jaskari said that if those parties would form a government, with the silent support of the populist Sweden Democrats, the new government could at least start preparations to apply for a NATO membership.

Anna Svartstrom, observer of the Finnish newspaper Hufvudstadsbladet (HBL), said that in Sweden security policies have traditionally required widely political decisions, and the social democrats are opposed to going NATO. "This means that even if there would be a government of the non-socialist alliance, any fast move would not be likely," Svartstrom wrote.