Minister Stubb appoints a working group to prepare Finland’s action plan on economic external affairs
Press release 223/2011
2 September 2011
Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb has today appointed a working group to draft Finland’s action plan on economic external affairs, mentioned in the Government Programme.
The underlying cause for this is Finland’s and Europe’s altered economic operating environment. Development of the world economy, the new global distribution of tasks and the problems facing public economies in Western countries are shifting the economic focus increasingly to Asia and other emerging economies. The trend requires that the state take more effective measures to support enterprises in their export, internationalisation and foreign business operations.
The action plan will define the goals and strategy of Finland’s economic external policy and will seek practical tools for supporting Finnish enterprises.
The working group’s appointment takes effect on 1 September, and its report and recommendations are to be submitted by 31 December.
The members invited to join the working group are influential business leaders with experience and vision of the economy and foreign trade that is as wide as possible. Particular attention has been paid to experience of operations on new growth markets, experience of enterprises at different stages of development and operating in different business sectors, as well as expertise in trade policy and economics.
The members of the working group are: Matti Alahuhta (chairman), Sari Baldauf, Anne Brunila, Sirkka Hämäläinen, Mika Ihamuotila, Johanna Ikäheimo, Ole Johansson, Mikko Kosonen, Leila Kostiainen, Jussi Pesonen, Maisa Romanainen, Veli Sundbäck and Peter Vesterbacka. The permanent experts are Jorma Korhonen from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Petri Peltonen from the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. In executing its task, the working group will consult organisations active in export promotion and internationalisation, such as Finpro, Tekes, Finnvera and Finnfund.
Additional information: Director General Jorma Korhonen mobile tel. +358 40 732 4567, and Antti Timonen, Press Attaché to the Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade, mobile tel. +358 40 590 7231