Finnish President Alexander Stubb has suggested that the Middle East may need a Helsinki-style security framework bringing together rivals, including Iran and Israel, before it evolves into a co-operation system similar to the EU.
"I think it would be very useful if, when the conflict is over, 'X' amount of countries would come together and emulate what we did in Helsinki in 1975 with the Helsinki Security Conference, where we defined three baskets that basically enemies started to work on, East and West,” he said in a media briefing in the Finnish capital on Thursday.
"And then perhaps spin it off from there to some kind of institutional integration system, à la European Union,” he went on.
“Finnish humbleness prevents me from giving advice. We can only give suggestions for frameworks, and then the substance comes from it. So, in a big security conference, it is quite clear that it would be quite difficult to be without Iran and Israel,” Mr Stubb said in response to questions by The National during the media briefing in Helsinki with other international outlets.
He was drawing parallels with the accords signed in the Finnish capital by western and Soviet bloc countries, which created a framework for dialogue and confidence-building measures between Cold War rivals.
The three baskets from 50 years ago Mr Stubb referred to were security, economic co-operation and humanitarian and cultural co-operation.
Today, the Iran war has major global economic implications through the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, particularly amid fears that fighting between the US, Israel and Iran could resume at any moment.
Iranian attacks targeting civilian infrastructure in Gulf countries have also intensified the crisis, with the UAE, the most heavily targeted state, now insisting that any agreement with Tehran must address its ballistic missile programme and support for proxy militias.
According to Arab sources, mediators are working to narrow differences between Iran and the US before the possible resumption of direct talks next week, although fears of renewed war continue to overshadow discussions.
Closer GCC-EU relations
Mr Stubb said the conflict brought Europe and the Gulf countries closer and proved "useful” for Ukraine.
"I was one of the first ones to immediately call my friends in the region,” he told The National in the interview. He called for working on a "deeper institutional structure” between the GCC countries and Europe. "It could be about a free-trade agreement, it could be about visa freedom,” he said.
“The war in Iran has turned out to be useful for Ukraine because they’ve been able to help GCC countries with drones and missile defences. They sent 10 teams of 40 military experts to the region, so they’re doing quite well,” Mr Stubb said, while saying he believes that Ukraine is winning the war against Russia.
His remarks come as Finland increasingly seeks to position itself as a centre for mediation and conflict resolution, a strategy visible across its foreign policy institutions, peace foundations and education system.
Mr Stubb framed Finland’s small-state identity as an advantage in international diplomacy, particularly when proposing reforms to global governance structures, including expanding permanent membership of the UN Security Council and abolishing veto powers.
“We come with almost no baggage to the UN,” Mr Stubb said of Finland’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2029-2030, ahead of the country formally launching its campaign in June.
Double standard
Despite positioning Finland as a rules-based advocate for reforming global institutions, Mr Stubb also acknowledged that the Gaza war had exposed inconsistencies in how Europe and the West apply foreign policy principles.
"Is there a discrepancy and double standard between what we say and do in Russia versus what we say and do with Israel? The answer is unequivocal yes,” he admitted. "Foreign policy is never black and white. There's not one country in this world that drives a foreign policy which is consistent,” said Mr Stubb.
"Has Israel gone too far in Gaza? Yes. Has it gone too far in the West Bank? Yes. Has it gone too far in Lebanon? Yes. In foreign policy, quite often, I make a difference between what you do and what you say. There are some conflicts where we can 'do', like the one in Ukraine, and then there are some where we can only 'say'. So, the world is not, unfortunately, perfect. Nor is Finnish foreign policy.”
He suggested, however, that recognising a Palestinian state was only a matter of time and Finland joins other European and western capitals that have already taken the step.
"For me, it will be a question of not if, but when. And I'm sure the government will, at some stage, either this government or the next government, give me a proposal for the recognition of a Palestinian state, and I will approve it immediately,” said Mr Stubb.
