Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen to visit Egypt
Press release 58/2008
20 February, 2008
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will make an export promotion and internalisation trip to Egypt on 24–27 February. Travelling with the minister is a business delegation of more than 20 people, including representatives of the information technology, health, construction, environment, finance and energy sectors and the defence industry. The chairman of the business delegation is Tommi Nordberg, CEO of Gemalto Oy.
The host of Minister Väyrynen’s visit is Tarek Kamel, Minister of Communication and Information Technology. Minister Väyrynen will also have talks with Rachid Mohamed Rachid, Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry, and other key Egyptian ministers. A business seminar will also be held, organised in cooperation with local bodies.
Minister Väyrynen will attend the Cairo ICT 2008 Fair, and will deliver a speech on the development and opportunities of the Finnish information society at the opening session. As Guest of Honour, Finland has its own pavilion at the Middle East’s most comprehensive information and communications technology fair.
The purpose of the visit is to survey the business opportunities offered by Egypt, to present Finnish know-how to Egyptian officials and companies, to obtain current information about trends in the country’s business environment and to promote investments between the two countries. Economic reforms carried out by Egypt and rapid economic growth provide a good base for new trade and investment possibilities.
Bilateral relations between Finland and Egypt will also be discussed at ministerial level meetings. Egypt’s economic development has given Finland and Egypt the possibility to move from relations grounded in development cooperation towards a more diverse partnership, one goal of which is to promote trade, investment and private-sector cooperation. The transition has been carried out according to a mutually agreed transition strategy in 2004–2007, during which time bilateral development cooperation projects were completed.
During the trip Minister Väyrynen will also become acquainted with the fruits of development cooperation between Finland and Egypt in Alexandria, where he will visit the hazardous waste plant supported by Finland.
Minister Väyrynen will also attend the EuroMed Ministerial Meeting on Information Society, a part of the Barcelona Process, to be held in Cairo on 27 February. This event strives, among other things, to promote liberalisation of information society markets and opening of investment opportunities.
Minister Väyrynen’s previous official visit to Egypt took place in 1986, when he held the post of Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Additional information: Pirjo-Liisa Heikkilä, Press Attaché to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, mobile tel. +358 40 705 5623; Director General Teemu Tanner, Department for Africa and the Middle East, tel. +358 9 1605 6212; Project Assistant Pauliina Hellman, Unit for the Middle East and North Africa, tel. +358 9 1605 6212