Istanbul-Helsinki cooperation for mediation

Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Sakari Tuomioja has said that Istanbul was not a rival to Helsinki as a city where a UN mediation center is planned to be erected but that the two cities complemented each other. Speaking to the Anadolu Agency (AA) in Istanbul where he came to attend the "Second Istanbul Mediation Conference", Tuomioja stressed that Finland was sensitive when it came to international mediation. We are interested in mediation to facilitate peace and stability, Tuomioja noted. In a global order where there is mutual dependency, a problem in a region may spread to other regions and lead to greater problems, Tuomioja underlined. Reminding that a new initiative under the title "Mediation for Peace" was initiated at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York in 2010 by the co-leadership of Turkey and Finland, Tuomioja said that "within this context, the 'Group of Friends of Mediation' was founded." A resolution on mediation was accepted at the UN General Assembly unanimously and 36 countries and 8 international organizations, including the UN, became members of the group, Tuomioja stated. The Group of Friends of Mediation meet once at the level of foreign ministers every year, Tuomioja noted. Touching on a UN mediation center planned for Istanbul, Tuomioja underlined that he welcomed the idea. All activities receive support if they can strengthen mediation and transfer new sources and knowledge to mediation, Tuomioja said. Asked if Istanbul and Helsinki would be rivals to each other in mediation, Tuomioja answered that the two cities were not rivals but complemented each other in mediation. On the solution process in Turkey, Tuomioja stated that he was pleased to see the beginning of the process. Everyone has dedicated himself to end the clashes in Turkey, Tuomioja stressed.