MOSCOW, Apr 15 Moscow knows about it the so-called civil initiative in Finland to close the Russian consulate in the Åland Islands, the Foreign Ministry said.
«We proceed from the fact that the position of Finland, confirmed by the Finnish Foreign Ministry, is that the country intends to continue to fulfill its international legal obligations regarding the demilitarized status of the Åland Islands and the presence of the consulate of the Russian Federation on them,» — indicated by the ministry.
At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called it indicative that the Alanders themselves do not support the idea of closing the diplomatic mission.
«Therefore, let's see how this «initiative» will end up. Now it's premature to talk about anything else,» the Foreign Ministry concluded.
Last week on the website of civil initiatives of Finland, a collection of signatures was opened on the closure of the Russian consulate in the Åland Islands due to the country's accession to NATO. As of 14:00 Moscow time on Thursday, the proposal received 25.4 thousand signatures of citizens out of 50 thousand required for consideration by the country's parliament.
The Russian embassy in Finland noted that the attempts of some activists to raise the issue of closing the representative office look like a desire to undermine the foundations of the international legal regime of the islands, which has long proved its effectiveness. The diplomats noted that the consulate in the capital of the Åland Islands, the city of Mariehamn, operates on the basis of an agreement between the USSR and Finland of 1940, which, along with the Åland Convention of 1921, is an integral part of the international legal framework for the demilitarized status of the Ålands.