BERLIN: Finnish officials were working against the clock Sunday to deal with demands from the Polish government that are threatening to block an EU-Russia summit meeting scheduled for Friday in Helsinki, according to senior Finnish officials. "It is a difficult situation," Sanna Kangasharju, a spokeswoman for the Finnish government, said Sunday. "The summit is hanging in the balance. We are now waiting for a response from the Polish side. The ball is in their court." Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen of Finland held talks in Warsaw on Friday night with his Polish counterpart, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the Finnish officials said. Kaczysnki is insisting that Russia lift its ban on imports of certain Polish agricultural products, and that the EU come up with a more coherent and united energy policy before agreeing to the EU-Russia summit meeting. This is the first time that a new member state of the EU has tried to block a summit meeting with Russia. And according to diplomats in the region, it shows how different and difficult their relations are with their Eastern neighbors in comparison to most of the West European countries.
"It is a difficult situation," Sanna Kangasharju, a spokeswoman for the Finnish government, said Sunday.
"The summit is hanging in the balance. We are now waiting for a response from the Polish side. The ball is in their court."
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen of Finland held talks in Warsaw on Friday night with his Polish counterpart, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the Finnish officials said.
Kaczysnki is insisting that Russia lift its ban on imports of certain Polish agricultural products, and that the EU come up with a more coherent and united energy policy before agreeing to the EU-Russia summit meeting.
This is the first time that a new member state of the EU has tried to block a summit meeting with Russia. And according to diplomats in the region, it shows how different and difficult their relations are with their Eastern neighbors in comparison to most of the West European countries.
