Finnish President Sauli Niinistö has proposed a Helsinki summit in the spirit of the 1975 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) which led to the founding of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The proposal has already been endorsed by Russian President Putin. Niinistö made the suggestion in an op-ed column published in the leading daily, Helsingin Sanomat, on Sunday, entitled “Arctic Cool and the Spirit of Helsinki.”
In his article Niinistö suggested that such a meeting could be a way to defuse what he sees as growing tensions among major powers such as the United States, China, and Russia. Such a summit has not been held since 2010. Summits are not held regularly and are held at the request of members, requiring a consensus among all members to approve the convening of a summit. While he lays much emphasis on such a summit taking up the issues of climate change from where COP26 left off, he also emphasized the security situation and east-west tensions over Ukraine and arms control.
Niinistö also referenced his proposal for an Arctic summit, which he said would be useful not only on climate matters, but also in relieving military tensions in the region. He wrote that he has stated before that Arctic issues are “cool enough for discussion even in hotter atmospheres.” He proposed that such a summit be held in 2025, 50 years after the original Helsinki Accords.
It should be recalled that in the 1975 meeting, the heads of state of 35 countries in Europe and North America came together, the result of which lowered Cold War tensions and led to the establishment of the OSCE in 1995. The OSCE Council of Ministers, which met in Stockholm earlier this month, named Finland to be president of the OSCE in 2025.
“In four years’ time, the celebration would be a good time to bring the spirit of Helsinki back to the world. Once again, a positive motion is needed, a precious foundation of the OSCE, respecting the values of freedom, democracy and rights,” the President wrote. While 2025 is a long way off, he did not say such a meeting could not be held earlier. He has already held talks this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden.
