Naryshkin not blaming OSCE PA chief for entry ban incident
MOSCOW. July 17 (Interfax) - Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin has said that the Finnish citizens he had previously worked with called and told him that they felt ashamed of their government, which denied entry to the country to several members of the Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA).
"I have many people in Finland with whom I previously worked in the framework of border cooperation. They are Finnish citizens, and some of them called me and said sincerely that they felt ashamed of the actions of the Finnish government and apologized," Naryshkin said at a meeting with the OSCE PA president, Ilkka Kanerva, on Friday.
The Duma speaker said he genuinely likes Kanerva as a person.
"I saw the enthusiasm with which you got down to work after being elected to this high office, we voted for you. And of course, I see none of your fault in what happened in Helsinki - it is the Finnish government who is to blame," Naryshkin said.
In early July, on the eve of the opening of an OSCE PA session, the Finnish authorities denied entry to the country to several members of the Russian delegation to the Assembly, including Naryshkin, who was to head up the delegation.
The move prompted Russia to cancel its attendance altogether.
