The Future of the Treaty on the Lease by Finland of the Russian Part of the Saimaa Canal in the Light of Finland’s Accession to NATO

The purpose of the research. Collaboration between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland concerning the lease of the Russian part of the Saimaa Canal has been going on for 60 years and has proved its importance. From year to year the representatives of the two countries confirm the effectiveness of the implementation of the Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland on the Lease by the Republic of Finland of the Russian Part of the Saimaa Canal and the Surrounding Area and the Order of Navigation through the Saimaa Canal (Lease Agreement) of 2010. International law regulation of the interstate relations is inseparably connected with its political peculiarities. Recent events related to the initiative of the Republic of Finland to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) determine the raise of the question of how the further сollaboration on the lease of the mentioned territory will be carried out. The purpose of the research is to give the international legal assessment of the designated political line of Finland in terms of the compliance by Finland of its international legal obligations and the prospects for its continuing interaction with Russia regarding the lease of the Russian part of the Saimaa Canal. Results. The prospects for collaboration between Russia and Finland regarding the lease of the Russian part of the Saimaa Canal are conditioned by the current political climate in bilateral relations. By the initiative to join NATO Finland is undermining the foundations of its neutrality policy, which for a long time is being the guarantee of stability in the Russian-Finnish relations. NATO’s activity in accordance with the «rules-based order», instead of the basic principles of international law, will have a sharply negative impact on the collaboration between Russia and Finland, which may become a member of this alliance. If we assume that the prospects for the further lease of the Russian part of the Saimaa Canal by Finland disappear and the Lease Agreement of 2010 is denounced, then the possibilities for the further use of this part of the waterway do not end there. It can continue to be used according to the common regulations provided for international channels.

lease of the territory, Saimaa Canal, NATO, peaceful coexistence of states, neutrality