Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Kiviniemi to make an export promotion visit to Southeast Asia
Press release 294/2005
29 September, 2005
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Mari Kiviniemi will make a visit to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia on 3-11 October with a focus on promotion of Finnish exports. The Minister will be accompanied by a delegation of 16 businessmen representing the Finnish know-how in the areas of, among others, information and communications technology, industries manufacturing equipment and machinery, and export financing. The goal of the visit is to present Finnish expertise to the authorities and businesses of the target countries at a high level, and to acquire first-hand information about the development prospects of respective countries taking into account the opportunities of Finnish trade in the region of Southeast Asia. In addition to discussions concerning possibilities for commercial and economic cooperation, the topics covered in the meetings at the ministerial level will also include current WTO questions, regional integration development in Asia, and development of cooperation between the EU and Asia.
In Malaysia Kiviniemi will discuss with the country’s Minister of International Trade and Industry, Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, Minister of Energy, Water and Communications, Dato’ Seri Lim Keng Yaik and Minister of Public Works, Dato’ Seri S. Samy Vellu. In addition, Kiviniemi will make a speech at a Finnish-Malaysian business seminar.
In Singapore, Kiviniemi’s visit will celebrate the 20-year existence of the Finnish trade association. Kiviniemi will have discussions with the country’s Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lee Boon Yang, Second Minister for Trade and Industry Vivian Balakrishnan and Foreign Minister George Yong-Boon Yeo. Moreover, Kiviniemi will open a seminar presenting future technology for intelligent homes, and give a speech at a seminar presenting the business environment of Singapore.
In Indonesia, Kiviniemi will meet the country’ State Minister for Information and Communication Sofiyan A. Djalil, Minister of Trade Mari E. Pangestu, Chairperson of the National Development Planning Agency Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari, Minister of Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Soegiarto and Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda. In addition, Kiviniemi will give a speech at a Finnish-Indonesian business seminar. During her visit to Indonesia, Kiviniemi will also visit Aceh, where she will get acquainted with the reconstruction work carried out after the tsunami catastrophe that happened on 26 December last year. Also Finland is financing this reconstruction. In Aceh, Kiviniemi will also meet representatives of the mission monitoring implementation of the Aceh peace agreement set out in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Helsinki in August.
Kiviniemi and her delegation will return to Finland on 12 October.
Additional information: Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Juha Pyykkö, tel. +358 40 732 0391