Minister Kiviniemi to visit Zambia and Namibia

Press release 35/2006
6 February, 2006


Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Mari Kiviniemi will visit Zambia on 6-8 February and Namibia on 9-10 February. She will be accompanied by a delegation consisting of representatives from Finnish companies.

In Lusaka, Kiviniemi will meet the host of her visit, Zambian Foreign Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha, Deputy Minister of Commerce Mbita Chitala, Minister of Finance and National Planning Ngandu Peter Magande, Minister of Agriculture Mundia Sikatanane, Energy Minister Felix Mutati, as well as Deputy Minister of Mines Ackimson Banda.

On 8 February, Kiviniemi will give a speech in Lusaka at a business forum organised for Finnish and Zambian companies. Also during her visit, the minister will be introduced to a forestry project Finland is sponsoring in Livingstone, Zambia.

For Finnish development cooperation, Zambia is one of the long-time partner countries, in which Finland aims at increasing its contribution in accordance with the government-approved Development Policy Programme. One of the objectives with the visit is also to further the commercial and economic relations between the countries. Finland and Zambia signed an agreement concerning promotion and protection of investments in September 2005.

In Namibia, Minister Kiviniemi will meet Foreign Minister Marco Hausiku, Director General of the commission acting as planning authority of Namibia Helmut Angula, as well as Minister of Trade and Industry Immanuel Ngatjizeko, acting as host of the visit.

Kiviniemi will give a speech on 10 February in Windhoek at a business forum organised for Finnish and Namibian companies. Furthermore, the Minister will also get acquainted with hiv/aids projects during her visit.

The relations between Finland and Namibia are shifting from development cooperation towards development of commercial and economic relations, and cooperation between national institutions. The most important measures in the process have included the implementation of the agreement concerning promotion and protection of investments between the countries in 2005, as well as the approval of the commercial and economic action plan Finland and Namibia drafted together in 2005. At the moment, Finland and Namibia are getting prepared for introduction of the instrument of interest subsidies between the countries.

Minister Kiviniemi will return to Finland on 11 February.

Additional information: Project assistant Eeva-Maria Vuorenmaa, Unit for Southern Africa, tel. +358 9 1605 6343, and Special Advisor to the Minister Satu Mäki, tel. +358 9 1605 6306.