SAVONLINNA, Finland, July 27 (Xinhua) -- While world politics and environmental issues dominated the press conference after the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto on Thursday, Finnish analysts identified Putin's implicit messages related to the role of Finland.
Long-time Finnish MP Ilkka Kanerva, chairman of the parliamentary defence committee, commented that Putin again said between the lines that he does not want Finland or Sweden to join NATO.
"When Putin mentioned 'neutral countries in the Baltic sphere' and 'Finnish independent foreign policy', he sent the message he does not want to see all of the Baltic basin as members of NATO," said Kanerva.
Markku Kivinen, director of the Aleksanteri Institute of Helsinki University, said Putin sent a tacit message to Finland to act independently in the European Union (EU).
Interviewed by the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Kivinen referred to Putin's appreciation of Finland for its "independent foreign policy".
Kivinen saw the wording also an expression of the Russian view of the current Finnish foreign policy.
In the Russian view, independent foreign policy is part of Finland's independence, Kivinen said.
At the join press conference, Niinisto said Finland wants to develop good relations with various directions. He noted that Finland is part of the EU, and the EU is an important direction of cooperation to Finland.
