Finland’s prime minister apologized Wednesday to Asian countries while seeking to defuse a controversy sparked by derogatory images circulated by far-right members of the Nordic nation’s parliament.
Dubbed the "slanted eyes" scandal by Finnish media, the incident is the latest in a series of cases in which members of the Finns Party, a junior partner in the governing coalition, have been accused of posting or making racist remarks.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo of the pro-business National Coalition Party, who leads a four-party coalition that includes the Finns, issued a statement offering his sincere apologies.
"These posts do not reflect Finland's values of equality and inclusion," Orpo said in statements released by Finnish embassies in China, Japan and South Korea.
"Our message in Finland and to all our friends abroad is that the government takes racism seriously and is committed to combating the issue," he said.
