AMBASSADOR WARE'S MEETING WITH FINLAND'S MINISTER

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000859 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD ECON EAID EUN PREL FI SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR WARE'S MEETING WITH FINLAND'S MINISTER FOR FOREIGN TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT PAULA LEHTOMAKI ¶1. (SBU) Summary: On August 24, Ambassador Ware met with Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paula Lehtomaki. Lehtomaki described her August 14-16 trip to Lebanon and Israel, noting that she was particularly surprised by how quickly refugee centers emptied following the announcement of the ceasefire. Ambassador stressed US commitment to delivering on the core Doha market access mandate and getting past the current deadlock. Lehtomaki agreed and expressed concern that with no Doha result, there could be a "wave of protectionism." She encouraged the U.S. to continue reaching out to the "most protectionist among us." Ambassador Ware and Lehtomaki also touched briefly on Finland's aging labor market. End Summary. -------------- Lehtomaki's Trip to Lebanon -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Acting on behalf of Finland's EU presidency, Lehtomaki joined EU Commissioner for Development Louis Michel on his trip to Lebanon to see firsthand if the distribution of EU assistance could be made more efficient. Arriving on the first day of the ceasefire, she said she was surprised to see the rapid return of refugees to the south and noted that practically all refugee centers were empty in two days. The roads were so clogged that she and Michel were unable to travel south. ¶3. (SBU) Lehtomaki agreed with the Ambassador that the Lebanese government needed to be supported in order to counteract the strong social support offered by Hezbollah. Finland has offered 1.5 million euros for reconstruction and another 600,000 euros in oil spill cleanup equipment. Lehtomaki commented that according to Danish experts, the oil spill situation was manageable if responded to quickly. Lehtomaki will attend the Lebanon Donor's Conference in Stockholm later this month. ¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador called on Finland, as EU President, to speak out firmly against the unhelpful role of Iran and Syria. Lehtomaki said that the current problem is a small part of a larger problem and that Palestine is the real issue. "Violence on both sides only strengthens the hate," Lehtomaki said. Lehtomaki expressed concern that the humanitarian situation in Gaza not be forgotten as millions of euros in reconstruction aid were channeled to Lebanon. -------------- Doha - What Next? -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Ambassador underscored the need to revive and move the Doha market access agenda forward, noting that global stability would not come about without market access and that multi-lateral trade liberalization had the potential to generate significant economic opportunities that could lift many people out of poverty. Lehtomaki said Finland was committed to Doha and expressed concern that a lack of results could lead to a "wave of protectionism" and put the credibility of the whole system in jeopardy. Regardless of the outcome, she said, the EU planned to keep its promises to its least developed partners. The Ambassador noted that the private sector had an important role to play. Lehtomaki observed that Finland had done a lot to strengthen private sector involvement. Indeed her own title - Minister for Foreign Trade and Development - was the result of a parliamentary initiative to link trade and aid. -------------- Innovation and an Aging Labor Market -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Given Finland's reputation as a supportive environment for innovation, Ambassador Ware expressed interest in sharing expertise on innovation and on getting innovative products to market. Ambassador briefed Lehtomaki on a post-EU exchange program she is developing with Minister for Trade and Industry Pekkarinen for Finnish and American innovators to share information on developing and marketing new and innovative products. Ambassador and Lehtomaki also discussed the challenges of Finland's aging labor force and its difficulty and perhaps reluctance in attracting immigrant labor. Lehtomaki said that she had taken part in budget discussions August 23 which attempted to reconcile Finland's high unemployment rate with its lack of available qualified labour in certain regions and sectors. WARE