Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-25-Speech-3-082"
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"en.20001025.3.3-082"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, war is a cruel way of solving people’s differences. It is tragic when the civil population suffers as a result of its leaders’ lack of skills and experience. The Ottawa Convention, which restricts the use of mines, is a very worthwhile endeavour. Too many children have lost their lives or become crippled while playing in a danger zone. The EU’s aid programme is necessary and I fully back it. It is our duty to help nations that are suffering as a result of political mistakes made long ago. In some countries there are more mines than there are truffles in France, and both are as hard to find.
Although I am in favour of ending the misuse of mines, I do wish to raise the issue of the problems that Finland has in this connection. Finland has not signed the Ottawa Convention, and reference has been made to that quite often here, as in the case of the previous speaker also. The criticisms, however, are sanctimonious and based on ignorance. Ladies and gentlemen, just look at Finland. The country is sparsely populated and it has a land border with Russia that is more than a thousand kilometres long. The history we share with our neighbour has often been full of anguish. We must fall back on the old Roman truth: the best way to keep the peace is to prepare for war.
The mines are an essential part of Finland’s defences. They cannot be used to conquer other countries, but are only used for purposes of defence. All the mines in Finland are safely stored and are not exported to other countries. Their use is subject to stringent discipline. I would like to stress this. Furthermore, all the mines are easy to remove in the wake of any conflict. Finland cannot be put in the same category as many less developed countries, where the use of mines is very random and the inevitable consequences of that are evident.
It must be realised that Finland spends large sums of money on mine clearance in other countries. In practice, this means removing mines with Finnish equipment, providing assistance for victims, and the destruction of mine stores. This work supports the EU’s efforts. Finland has already, for its own part, taken responsibility for the world’s mine problem. This must, nonetheless, come about in such a way that one’s own country’s security is not compromised as a result of political pressures."@en1
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