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Finnish president praises Russia’s readiness for dialogue on flights above Baltic Sea

Sauli Niinisto also praised tendencies in Russia-U.S. relations regarding the fight against terrorism

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto EPA/ALEXEI DRUZHININ/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL, archive

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto

© EPA/ALEXEI DRUZHININ/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL, archive

WARSAW, July 9. /TASS/. Russia’s readiness to boost security of flights above the Baltic Sea region and discuss the problem of using transponders in aircraft is positive, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, who arrived at NATO’s summit in Warsaw, said Friday.

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Putin: Russia to respond if Finland joins NATO

"Of course I believe the fact that Vladimir Putin addressed the problem, and now it is discussed by the Russian Security Council, to be positive," Niinisto was quoted as saying by Finnish tabloid Iltalehti.

He also praised tendencies in Russia-U.S. relations regarding the fight against terrorism.

On July 1, during a visit to Finland, Russian President Vladimir Putin supported the country’s proposal to ban flights above the Baltic Sea for aircraft with switched-off transponders.

"We agree with the proposal of the Finnish president, and upon return to Moscow I will give an instruction to the Russian Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry to put the issue on the agenda during the upcoming meeting of the Russia-NATO Council in Brussels, which is to be held after the NATO summit in Warsaw," Putin said.

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