Like several hundred thousand fellow Karelians, we became refugees in our own country as great power politics caused the borders of Finland to be redrawn and left my home town as part of the Soviet Union.

Next quotes

• Martti Ahtisaari:

  Mediators do not choose the conflicts they became involved in, but the parties to the conflict choo

• Martti Ahtisaari:

  The task of the mediator is to help the parties to open difficult issues and nudge them forward in

• Martti Ahtisaari:

  The only people that can make peace are the parties to the conflict, and just as they are responsib

• Martti Ahtisaari:

  The mere fact that I'm former head of state and former under-secretary in the U.N. system, it means

• Martti Ahtisaari:

  You need to carry out very careful pre-feasibility and feasibility studies before you enter any cri

• Martti Ahtisaari:

  The origins of my career as a peace mediator can be found from my childhood years. I was born in th

• Martti Ahtisaari:

  With my mother, I moved from one household to another before settling in the eastern part of Finlan

• Martti Ahtisaari:

  We are convinced that Turkey would be a useful member of the European Union.

• Martti Ahtisaari:

  If one has problems with immigrant communities in Europe, that should not be used against Turkey.

• Martti Ahtisaari:

  I'm concerned when certain movements or countries have been isolated from the international dialogu