FM hopes U.S. trade policies "more predictable" from now

Foreign Minister Timo Soini said on Wednesday that he hoped the U.S. trade policies would be "somewhat more predictable" after the mid-term elections.

In an interviewed with national broadcaster Yle, Soini said he believed the transatlantic relationship between the European Union (EU) and the U.S. would remain, although there are "practical issues" such as relations with Iran and nuclear weapons control.

In the big picture, he said, Europe and the United States must be on the "same side" in international politics and hoped that rule-based international cooperation could soon be restored.

Admitting that talks with the U.S. are not easy, he said it is essential that the arguments presented to the U.S. side in the talks are correct.

In bilateral relations, he said, Finland has no problems with the U.S., but constant contacts are required.