HELSINKI. Jan 9 (Interfax) - Finland may not reopen the border with Russia on Sunday, January 14, at the end of the current lockdown, if the risk of refugees from third countries sent by Russia across the border persists, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said.
"Given the available information, nothing has changed in Russia. Finland will not open the border if there are clear signs or risks that Russia might resume its operation immediately," Orpo said in an interview with the Yle website on Tuesday.
"The most important thing is to maintain calm at the border. The situation must not get out of control," he said.
The authorities will comprehensively assess the situation before making a decision, Orpo said, adding that border and national security was on one side of the scale, and the position of Russians living, for example, in Finland and demanding the opening of the border was on the other.
"While making its decisions, the government came to a conclusion that border security is so important to us that it has been and will remain a priority until we find a permanent solution," Orpo said.
The Finnish government decided in November to close all eight checkpoints on the eastern border, citing a mass influx of migrants from third countries allegedly organized by Russia.
Two checkpoints reopened on December 12 but were closed again for one month "for security reasons" on December 14.