FINLAND: DEMARCHE REQUEST ON THE GOLDSTONE REPORT

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000412 SIPDIS IO/HR FOR PKRUCHOWSKI; IO/UNP FOR AMORRISON; NEA/IP FOR JGIAUQUE; USUN NEW YORK FOR EGERMAIN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: FI PREL SUBJECT: FINLAND: DEMARCHE REQUEST ON THE GOLDSTONE REPORT REF: STATE 112828 ¶1. Pol/Econoff delivered reftel remarks to Kirsti Pohjankukka First Secretary for Human Rights Policy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Pohjankukka responded to USG's concern that the possible resolution may have an adverse impact on the peace process by stating that the peace process is GOF's priority on this issue. At the same time, she stressed that GOF respects U.N. reports and sees this as an important one. She followed that immediately by saying that the parties involved in the conflict should be the ones to take up the issues. ¶2. Pohjankukka noted that there is currently no common E.U. position but she expressed the expecation that the E.U. would arrive at a common position shortly. She agrees that the mandate of the Goldstone mission was very one-sided and that it was important that the authors broadened their scope to address Hamas' actions. Addressing the concern that any resolution based on the report likely would also be one-sided, she again brought up how the authors had taken the initiative to broaden the scope of the mandate. ORECK