Finnish business delegation to Kyrgyzstan

Press release 59/2016
4 April 2016

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finland's Embassy in Astana, Kazakhstan, and Honorary Consulate in Kyrgyzstan together with the UN Development Programme UNDP are organising a Team Finland business seminar in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on 4 April.

Finland has sent a business delegation to the seminar, representing the water and construction and education services sectors.

The seminar aims to promote bilateral commercial cooperation and to raise awareness of Finland in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz representatives will tell about the opportunities that their country offers in the areas of ICT, tourism, and minining and textile industries.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are the two partner countries of Finland's development cooperation in Central Asia. Finland supports Kyrgyz water, geology and fisheries projects by about EUR four million a year. Finland has also supported, among other things, UNDP's Aid for Trade (AfT) initiative, which focuses on improving local small enterprises' and rural producers' access to international markets.

So far, trade between Finland and Kyrgyzstan has been modest. In 2015, the value of fertilisers, machines and paper exported from Kyrgyzstan to Finland was EUR 3.7 million, while import, consisting of ores and scrap metals, totalled EUR 450,000.

Political consultations between Finland and Kyrgyzstan will be held at senior official level. Additionally, visits will be made to Issyk-Kul Lake to learn about the water and fisheries sector projects funded by Finland there.

Inquiries: Ilkka Räisänen, Ambassador, Embassy of Finland in Astana, tel. +7 717 244 2121 and Jouko Eskelinen, Senior Specialist, Embassy of Finland in Astana, tel. +7 717 244 2121
Business delegation: Petri Numminen, Managing Director, Stimulator Ltd, tel. +358 40 747 1228.