In 1999, the President of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari, was reported as wanting to step up attempts to secure a peace agreement for Kosovo in his new role as a leading negotiator for the European Union. It was also reported that "Correspondents say that despite Mr Ahtisaari's support for air strikes, his position as president of a non-NATO country could make him palatable to Belgrade [Serbian Government]."[4] In 2007, United Nations envoy for Kosovo says independence was the "only viable option" for the territory of Kosovo.[5]
However, Ahtisaari's plan for peace failed [6] and he was unable to reconcile Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo and that "Serbians see him as a leading player in the break-up of their country." [7]
Following Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008, Kosovo Albanians living in Finland celebrated and expressed their gratitude to the Finnish Government and President Ahtisaari.[8]
^"Finland recognises Kosovo". NewsRoom Finland. Helsinki: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. 2008-03-07. Archived from the original on 2009-03-24. Retrieved 2008-03-07.