CONVERSATION WITH FINNISH AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI

C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000265

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP;
PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2015
TAGS: ECON FI KISL PREL SA
SUBJECT: CONVERSATION WITH FINNISH AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI
ARABIA


Classified By: Consul General Tatiana Gfoeller, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) On March 29, CG received a courtesy visit from
Finnish Ambassador Martti Isoaro. Also present was Jeddah
Pol/Econ Chief. The Ambassador expressed the hope that the
U.S. and Finnish missions could cooperate in the Western
Province and described the two major objectives of his
embassy in Saudi Arabia, promotion of trade and protection of
Finish citizens, including a small contingent of Muslims who
traveled on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. The Ambassador also
spoke about a meeting with the Secretary General of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference who expressed interest
in increasing that organization's engagement in international
affairs on behalf of the Islamic community of nations.

THE FINNISH MISSION TO SAUDI ARABIA


2. (C) On March 29, Finnish Ambassador Martti Isoaro
discussed the objectives of his mission in Saudi Arabia with
the Consul General and Pol/Econ Chief. Ambassador Isoaro has
been in Saudi Arabia for approximately nine months. The
Finnish Embassy is of very modest size, numbering only five
officers, including the Ambassador. Finland does not
maintain a consulate in Jeddah; however, efforts to promote
trade dictate that the Ambassador or his staff travel to
Jeddah frequently.

OIC SEEKING LARGER ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS


3. (C) During the meeting, Ambassador Isoaro informed CG
that while in Jeddah, he had meet with the Secretary General
of the OIC. He stated that Secretary General Ihsanoglu had
expressed a desire to increase the organization's role in
international affairs, as a representative of the Islamic
community. CG replied that the OIC, under Ihsanoglu, was
striving to take a larger role, but that the organization
appeared to still lack decisive influence with the Islamic
populace.

FINLAND LOOKS TO REGENERATE TRADE RELATIONSHIP


4. (C) A major objective of the Finnish Embassy is to revive
Finnish trade in Saudi Arabia to take advantage of the
rapidly growing economy and the structural changes brought
about by Saudi Arabia's entry into the WTO. The Ambassador
related that during the boom years before the turn of the
century, as many as 2,000 Finns had lived in Saudi Arabia.
As major development projects ended the number diminished and
dropped drastically in the wake of the terrorist attacks in
the last few years. At the present time there are only about
100 Finns in the Kingdom.


5. (C) The Ambassador is now working to reverse this
decline. He hopes to build on the reputation of leading
Finnish companies, particularly in the areas of construction
and industrial products. An important image-maker for
Finnish industry is Nokia which has a dominant portion of the
market for mobile phones. He also has great hopes for a
Finnish elevator manufacturer that had once been active in
the Kingdom. Pol/Econ Chief offered a short briefing on the
economy in Jeddah and advised him of potential resources,
such as the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).

FINNISH HAJJIS


6. (C) Isoaro also revealed that Finland sends approximately
200 pilgrims to the Kingdom on hajj each year. The Finnish
Muslim community is very small, consisting primarily of
"long-established Tartars" and recent Somali
"refugees--whether economic or political, it is hard to say."
The first group was expelled from their homeland in western
Asia by the Soviet Government during the mass population
removals in the 1930's and '40's. The Somalis were accepted
by the Finnish Government as refugees from their country's
civil war in the 1990's.
Gfoeller