Department II File Note, 'Finland and the Rapacki Plan'

167

[before June 9], Department II file note regarding Finland’s position  

on the Rapacki Plan

Finland and the Rapacki Plan

In Finland there have been no official public statements on the Rapacki Plan.

1. At a dinner organized by ambassador Pietkiewicz, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hynninen in conversation with the ambassador said, among others, that Finland supports all efforts aimed at international détente, and so the Rapacki Plan as well. However he does not get involved in those matters, because their solution does not depend on Finland (DS of Feb. 11, 1958)

2. MoFA Political Dept. Director, Enkel, in conversation with ambassador Pietkiewicz said that the MoFA is studying the memorandum on the Rapacki Plan, but will not hesitate to take a position, because adoption of the plan hinges, in the first place, on the support of the great powers. Finland watches what kind of position would be taken by [other] countries particularly the Scandinavian [states] (DS, Feb., 25, 1958)

3. An occasion to take a position on the Rapacki Plan was a conference of foreign Ministers of the Scandinavian countries in Stockholm, where (acc. to classified info of ambassador Pietkiewicz – DS of March 29, 1958) the Finnish delegation backed the Danish delegation’s motion regarding putting in the final communiqué the formula about the need to consider all the plans aimed at regional disarmament in Europe.^1[1]3

^e4. The Finnish press devotes v. little space to the Rapacki Plan. On Feb. 28, 1958, the conservative organ Uusi Suomi published an editorial, inspired by MoFA that favorably assessed the Rapacki Plan. On May 9, 1958 a respectable Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat published an article about the results of the NATO conference,^1[2]4 in which it says that the rejection of the Rapacki Plan means failure of the steps taken by the Scandinavian countries, which insisted that the Plan at least be examined. The article exudes dissatisfaction with the US rejection of the Rapacki Plan.

5. For the first time did the Finnish leader spoke officially in favor of the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and missiles, which took place during an official visit of a Finnish delegation in the Soviet Union^e1[3]5, headed by president Kekkonen.

AMSZ, z.8, w.62, t. 859

¹³ See doc. no 107.

¹⁴ The conference of foreign ministers of 15 NATO states was held on May 5–7 in Copenhagen.

¹⁵ President of Finland Urho K. Kekkonen visited the USSR on May 22–31.