Preparing for the Presidency

As many of you probably know, Finland will for the second time take the head of the EU when it takes over the presidency next month. Holding the office is no easy task, and much work continues to go into stampping out a definate agenda. Constitutional Treaty, "widening and deepening," etc. The latest to come across my radar, however, come from a statement by the US ambassador to Finland:

"We believe Finland can play a crucial role in convincing Russia that it has more to gain than to lose by becoming a modern-day reliable supplier of energy."

With Finland making the shift to nuclear energy, the question of improving relations with Russia in order to coerce the nation into a role of "reliable energy supplier" seems way out in left field. While Finland historically has been and can certainly continue to be in a unique role in negotiating relations between Russia and the rest of the western world, Finland's EU presidency certainly shouldn't be overshadowed by it.

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