1/8/2003
Harri Holkeri Of Finland Appointed As Special Representative For Kosovo

The successor to Mr. Steiner, who left on July 8, has just been appointed by Kofi Annan. He is Harri Holkeri, former prime minister of Finland. Aside from the high responsibilities he has had in his country, Mr. Holkeri has notable experience in the international sphere-he presided at the 55th UN General Assembly-and in the economic and financial domain, which will be particularly valuable to him in Kosovo.

Mr. Holkeri, who will be the UN secretary-general's fourth special representative-after Bernard Kouchner, Hans Haekkerup and Michael Steiner-will have the task to promote, together with UNMIK as a whole, a stable democratic, multiethnic and peaceful Kosovo. That goal, which requires the implementation of resolution 1244, is in line with the European perspective outlined at the Thessalonika summit on June 20 and should quickly lead among other things to the establishment of direct and effective dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade.

Biographical Note
Mr. Holkeri was Finland's Prime Minister from 1987 to 1991, and for over four decades has served his country and the international community in several political and economic posts.

The most renowned and prestigious conservative political figure in Finland over the last few decades, Mr. Holkeri served as Secretary of the National Coalition Party from 1965 to 1971 and as Party Leader from 1971 to 1979. From 1970 to 1978, he was a Member of Parliament. He also served as a Member of the Board of Governors of the Bank of Finland (central bank) from 1978 to 1997. As Prime Minister, he headed a coalition formed by his party and the Social Democrats.

Mr. Holkeri played a key role in developing the social consensus that led to the creation of the coalition Government in power from 1987 to 1991, and of which he was Prime Minister. That Government was based on cooperation between the Conservative and the Social Democratic parties -- a cooperation that extended to international affairs as well. His political philosophy -- "You cannot make easy decisions unless you first commit yourself to hard solutions" -- has guided his political life.

His skills as a mediator and coalition builder have played an important role in Finland's foreign relations. After the Second World War, Finland, situated on the border between the East and the West, needed a workable and trustful relationship with both the West and its Eastern neighbours and the former Soviet Union. The country's decision to pursue a policy of military non-alignment and cooperation needed internal popular support, as well as international acceptance. But the difficulties faced in normalizing relations with the East were compounded by distrust of the Finnish Right, both inside and outside the country. During Mr. Holkeri's term as the Party Leader in the 1970s, Finnish Conservatives explicitly pledged to support the national consensus foreign policy. This contributed to the restoration of national harmony, helped to form broadly based governmental coalitions and led to expanding international cooperation.