Meeting of co-chairs of the Finnish-Russian Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation

On 15–16 January, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will travel to Moscow for a co-chairs’ meeting of the Finnish-Russian Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation.

The Commission is co-chaired by Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari and Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak.

"I am pleased that I shall be meeting the Economic Commission’s other co-chair. The meeting will provide an excellent opportunity for assessing the current state and future prospects of the economic relationship between our countries. In Russia, many national programmes are under way that include ambitious targets in a range of areas, such as waste management.  It would be good if our Russian neighbours could take greater advantage of Finnish waste management expertise and technology in future,” Minister Skinnari says.

The Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation aims to improve the ability of Finnish businesses to operate in Russia and to build contacts between companies. The Commission consists of sectoral and regional working groups. The co-chairs’ meeting will also cover matters that are dealt with by the different working groups and any issues concerning businesses. The co-chairs previously met at a meeting of the Economic Commission in 2018. The working groups have continued their concrete technical work relating to, for example, the transport sector, customs and the forest sector.

Additionally, Minister Skinnari will hold discussions with Russia's Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.

Russia is the sixth most important destination for Finnish exports and the second largest country of origin for Finnish imports. Trade with Russia is subject to both the economic and sectoral sanctions imposed by the EU and Russia's counter-sanctions. Due to the illegal annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, the EU's sanctions against Russia are still in place.

Inquiries: Juha Niemi, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, tel. +358 50 4766 417, or Mari Ahmed, Desk Officer, Unit for Russia, tel. +358 50 349 7364.

The press will have the opportunity to meet Minister Skinnari on Thursday 16 January 2020. Inquiries:  Taneli Dobrowolski, Press Officer, tel. +7 910 411 20 22.

The Foreign Ministry’s email addresses are in the format [email protected].