o
Welcome to TV7 Jerusalem Studio!
Today we discuss about
what is it like to be an ambassador in Israel.
Our guest is the Finnish ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola.
She has studied law and international politics
at the university of Helsinki.
Her first longer assignment was in the turn of the 1990's
in the central bureau of the Finnish Red Cross.
At that time she worked on refugee and immigration issues.
Since the beginning of the 1990's ambassador Mikkola
has worked in the Foreign Ministry of Finland
in several positions,
such as a secretary of legation in several countries.
Mikkola was a counsellor for several years,
first in Australia and then in Brussels in the EU consulate,
where she worked 4 years also as a manager
in the EU common security and defence policy unit.
In September 2011 Mikkola started
as a Finnish ambassador in Tel Aviv.
Welcome, Finnish ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola
to TV7 Jerusalem Studio!
- Thank you for inviting me.
- It is great to have you here.
First a basic question:
You have experience as a diplomat from several countries.
How does an ambassador prepare for a post in a new country?
- You need to prepare for every diplomatic post.
For an ambassador is even more important,
as a representative of Finland here.
Of course you can read about the new country,
its society, culture and history.
The archives of the Foreign Ministry are useful,
the reports of the predecessors,
because one of our most important tasks is to report.
The predecessors have reported about the issues in the country.
In addition to reading it is important to meet people.
People with contacts in the country, business, or cultural contacts.
You can prepare in many ways depending on the time you have.
- Israel is a very special country.
What kind of special knowledge is needed here?
- Of course Israel is a unique and multifaceted country.
I cannot say what special training would be required.
You learn while you work.
About reading I would like to add, that you can read also fiction.
I felt it was very important for me.
An example is the story about love and darkness by Amoz Oz.
It told in a beautiful and sometimes even in a heart-rending manner
about the first years of this state.
This is also a good way
to familiarize oneself with the new country.
- The history and culture of Israel are truly inexhaustible.
They can be studied through diverse sources.
Have you nevertheless encountered any suprises here?
- This country offers surprises every day.
This area is full of suprises.
Maybe the historical diversity has been surprising.
Near my residence are the ruins of Apollonia,
where I often go for a walk on the beach.
They are the ruins of the crusaders,
but there are signs for the visitors that tell,
that Persians, Greeks and Romans have also been here.
This also tells in an interesting way about the history of this area.
But I have been here only six months, so I have still much to see.
- Many people have very strong feelings about this country,
and spiritual thoughts as well.
What does Israel mean to you?
Is it a holy country, or is it merely a professional challenge,
or something else?
- Obviously the fact that this country is important and holy
for three great religions, arouses deep feelings.
I would rather look at this from a professional point of view.
It makes my job easier.
But otherwise I think Israel is a country of strong feelings.
Everyone has their own personal story.
That way I can myself as an ambassador understand
the situation of the people and those strong feelings
that this country arouses.
- When you mentioned the holy country for three religions,
and the conflicts between them,
have these issues come across in your work?
The conflicts or contacts between the religions?
- Yes they have.
In certain way when you watch the daily life here,
you come across them.
Not just between the religions,
but there are conflicts inside the religions every now and then.
- Could you tell an example?
- From the point of view of Israel's development,
it is interesting to watch how the social thinking
of the ultra-ortodox and the other Jews is developing.
It has a great influence on Israel's development.
- The next question is more personal.
According to my experience, even the highest officials in Israel
behave in a relaxed and familiar manner.
How does an ambassador or a diplomat feel about it,
as they are maybe used to a more formal etiquette?
- To me personally this familiarity suits well.
I have liked this directness and informality that is common here
in all relationships, higher and lower positions alike.
I think it's nice.
Maybe it is a little cliché,
that diplomats act only in a certain formal level.
Diplomats, as well as others, act in their own personal way.
- In comparison to the earlier posts,
what is the most prominent difference in the etiquette here?
- The most prominent difference...
Here people very soon start asking personal questions,
about family, and where you come from.
There is no need for warm-up.
As I said, I like it and it suits me well.
- Have you already been asked how much you pay rent?
- No.
- Here these kind of very direct questions are common.
- I have been spared of them.
- The next issue is more serious.
Israel's international image especially in the last 20 years
have suffered from the failed peace process with the Palestinians.
Also the Finnish political leadership
have been very critical towards Israel at times.
How does this affect your work in practice?
- First of all it is a shame that the peace process
is now in this frozen state, and has been for a long time.
Both sides are suffering from this.
EU, in which Finland is also a member,
sees that the conflict should be solved
on the basis of the two states solution,
where Israel's security would be ensured,
but the Palestinians would have their own viable state.
The criticism has had to do with this,
that how should this process go forward.
Is it a part of diplomacy that people often disagree.
The goal of diplomacy is to have a dialogue
and search for a common tone and mutual understanding.
- In the light of your so far short career
as an ambassador in Israel,
and you told that you have already encountered suprises,
what is your most memorable experience so far?
- Every day I have memorable experiences,
but for me as a new ambassador it was a great opportunity
when I could hand over the credential letter
to president Shimon Peres.
Our national hymn was played by a military orchestra.
I asked myself, is this how Olympic winners feel?
It was a magnificient but also very warm ceremony.
It left good memories.
My family was there also.
All in all I feel that memorable moments come often here,
because this country is full of interesting people
and fascinating stories.
I encounter here new memorable things every day.
- About your encounter with president Shimon Peres,
he really is a great senior politician.
Could you tell some details about the meeting?
- He has good memories about Finland.
He has visited Finland a few times.
He sees that the relations between Finland and Israel
are good and active.
He looked back especially warmly on the meeting
with president Halonen, who left office on 1st March.
Halonen was here a year ago on a state visit.
Peres had very warm memories about it.
We also talked a little about the peace process.
Even about this he has an optimistic view,
but still he sees it as a statesman.
He is a great statesman.
- Many people have described him as such.
He is a great man, who still is active in politics,
even though the president in Israel is mostly just a figurehead.
Now that there has been discussions on official levels,
are there going to be any governmental visitors from Finland
to Israel any time soon?
- No exact dates have been determined,
but of course it is important
to have reciprocal ministerial visits.
We are making efforts that ministers from Finland
would visit Israel at some point.
- You are the first woman ambassador in Israel
sent by Finnish Foreign Ministry.
It seems that most ambassadors are men.
Have you encountered some kind of belittlement,
or inequality because of being a woman?
- No, I have never encountered such a thing here
or in Finland either in any office.
The system is fair both here and in Finland.
Everyone gains his or her position,
according to his or her own achievements.
There are less woman ambassadors here,
but among the four ambassadors of Nordic countries
three are women,
my Swedish and Danish colleagues are women.
Nordic women are well represented.
- Do you have cooperation between Nordic ambassadors?
- The Nordic cooperation is strong.
It was evident, when I started here in August and September,
the first colleagues I contacted were Nordic ambassadors.
We meet every now and then at lunch and discuss unofficially
even about official issues.
It is an easy and convenient way to exchange thoughts.
- When we planned this interview,
I noticed that the ambassador's calendar is quite full.
You have a family after all,
how can you find time for the family,
and what kind of family do you have?
- I have two children and a husband, who is now in Finland,
but the boys, 15- and 12-year-old, are here.
Like every mother, I always have a bad conscience
about spending too little time with the children.
Perhaps everyone has the same dilemma.
- There are amazing sites to make trips with the family.
Have you long term plans of getting acquainted with the country?
- We will be here a long time.
We have plans, and we intend to see as much as possible
with the children as well.
- A great number of visitors from Finland come here.
Many of them are pilgrims who visit holy sites.
What kind of contacts does the embassy have with tourists,
are they mostly about problems, such as loosing a passport?
- The embassy provides consul services to tourists.
People who have lost their passport are quite rare.
But naturally we are always ready to help
Finnish people who need help or want to ask something.
It is our duty.
- There were recently presidential elections in Finland.
If Finnish citizens, tourists and residents in Israel
wanted to vote, they could do it at the embassy.
Did you have interesting encounters at that time?
- I was not present there all the time.
We had two polling stations, in Tel Aviv and in Eilat.
It was the first time that one could vote also in Eilat.
I was suprised of the great amount of voters.
I cannot remember the exact number,
but it was over 150, which I think is a lot,
because many of them were not tourists,
but long-time residents.
This also tells about the close ties between Finland and Israel.
Thank you, ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola.
It was great to have you here in Jerusalem Studio.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for watching Jerusalem Studio.
Welcome back next week!
Translation: Hannele Tainio