HELSINKI. Feb 12 (Interfax) - Finnish President-elect Alexander Stubb does not believe that relations with Russia could improve any time soon.
"Finland's foreign policy and security policy used to rely on relations with Russia to a greater extent. This component has now disappeared [...] We have no political relations with Russia today. I do not see that they could improve in the near future," Stubb said on Monday at his first press conference after being elected president.
Stubb cited Russia's actions in Ukraine as the reason behind this situation.
Finland still has practical relations with Russia, for instance, in border issues and diplomacy, but there are currently no contacts with Russia's top political leadership, he said.
Stubb underscored the importance of maintaining the Finnish Defense Forces in a good state "so that Finland, as a neighbor of Russia, has enough troops."
When commenting on the situation on the border with Russia, Stubb said that "it should be treated in a calm and unfazed manner," adding that "the government is properly coping with this situation."
Stubb also pledged to continue the policy of outgoing President Sauli Niinisto.
"It is unlikely that I would deviate from the current policy. I would be glad to continue the cause of Sauli Niinisto," Stubb said, adding that he intends to coordinate Finland's foreign policy in close cooperation with parliament.
Stubb unveiled three priorities of his future presidency: to do everything possible, everything he can every day to put the interests of the whole of Finland first and to be a unifying factor for society.
Finland's foreign policy and security policy are determined by the European Union and NATO today, Stubb said.
"Europe should assume responsibility within NATO," he said, adding that "the security picture of the whole of Europe has changed" due to Russia's actions in Ukraine. Hopefully, European states' support for Ukraine will continue, Stubb said.
Stubb was elected the next Finnish president for a six-year term on February 11. He will become Finland's 13th president and will officially assume office on March 1. Stubb plans to pay his first foreign visit as Finnish president to Sweden.
The Kremlin, in turn, said, when commenting on Stubb's election, that the new president will hopefully pursue a more balanced approach to the development of bilateral relations with Russia.
"We still hope that the new president, having access to full information, will commit to a more balanced approach to Russian-Finnish relations," Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.