EU Should Clarify Its Sanction Policy on Lawmakers - Finnish President

The European Union should clarify to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA) its rules regarding the application of sanctions against lawmakers in order to keep dialogue open, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said Monday.

HELSINKI (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova — OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Ilkka Kanerva said on Sunday that the decision by Finnish authorities to deny entry visas to several members of the Russian delegation, set to participate in a meeting of the OSCE PA in Helsinki, was made after consultations with almost all EU member states.

"This situation [tensions between Russia and the West] has also unfortunately affected this meeting here. Maintaining the line of communications and dialogue is very important. Therefore, it would be necessary for the EU to clarify its position to the OSCE PA in its sanctions' legislation," Niinisto said, addressing the OSCE PA.

Niinisto added that EU legislation covering the sanctions is "very confusing," leaving countries unclear as to what procedures to follow.

The Finnish president echoed Kanerva's statement, saying that he would like to emphasize that Finland "didn't say no to Russia."

"We would clarify what was happening and in what kind of position Finland was actually. We didn't get much help from the EU with the legislation that is not clear," Niinisto said, answering questions about possible Russian sanctions against Finland in response to the visa rejection.

Following Finnish authorities' denial of travel visas to several Russian lawmakers, the Russian delegation decided to refrain from participating in the OSCE PA summer session in Helsinki on July 5-9.

Russian State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin, who is on the EU travel ban list for Russia's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian crisis, was among those denied entry to Finland.