During the past week, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen attended the Executive Council meeting of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and made an export promotion trip to Kazan in the Russian Federation. Aside from meetings, the speeches made were high points at each destination.
In the speech given at the Executive Council of the African Union on 28 January, Minister Väyrynen dealt especially with the theme of sustainable development and the related partnership with the African Union. Finland’s goal is to deepen partnership based on economically, socially and ecologically sustainable development with the African Union, both bilaterally and in the framework of relations between the EU and Africa.
In his speech, Väyrynen stressed the importance of Africa’s regional integration. The African Union, in a short period of time, has succeeded in integrating Africa so it speaks with one voice. A good example of this was the climate change negotiations held in Copenhagen in December 2009. Moreover, the EU and the United States are deepening their transatlantic partnership for development, which will also benefit Africa.
Africa is the absolute priority for Finland’s development policy and development cooperation. Over half of development cooperation appropriations are channelled to Africa, and Finland is also committed to directing half of the growth in appropriations to Africa.
Minister Väyrynen made an export promotion trip to Kazan, Tatarstan Republic on 2–4 February. The Tatarstan Republic is one of the Russian Federation’s most developed areas, with which Finland has a close historic link thanks to Finland’s Tatar minority.
During the trip a business forum took place, attended by representatives of more than 20 Finnish companies as well as representatives of the Tatarstan Republic and businesses. Both sides have great enthusiasm for and wide interest in cooperation, and in his speech the minister encouraged Finnish companies to deepen cooperation. In his speech and at meetings, Väyrynen raised construction, environmental expertise and technology, the metal and forest industries, education, and the social welfare and health sector, in particular, as fields for cooperation.
During Väyrynen’s visit, a meeting of the Finland–Tatarstan Regional Working Group under the Finnish–Russian Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation was also held, led on the part of Finland by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.
