Press releases, 3.7.2008

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen: Finland intensifying development policy cooperation with the United States

Press release 242/2008
2 July, 2008

“Finland is intensifying contacts and cooperation on development policy issues with the United States. An additional goal is to increase cooperation on practical projects among the two countries as well,” Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen stated in Washington after having met with leaders of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.

“I believe that there is willingness in the United States to develop cooperation also in so-called soft foreign policy areas alongside the traditional security policy. We share similar development policy thinking, which provides good possibilities for widening our work together,” Väyrynen added.

Lester Brown, the founder and President of Earth Policy Institute, Janet Larsen, Director of Research and Minister Väyrynen. Development policy also figured prominently when Väyrynen met with Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank, and Lester Brown, the founder and President of Earth Policy Institute.

In addition, the minister’s agenda in Washington included high-level meetings with an American trade representative and at the US Department of Commerce. The main theme was the current situation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations, where it was hoped that progress would take place.

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative John K. Veroneau and Minister Väyrynen “My talks with American authorities have reinforced my belief that we have the possibility to take crucial steps in the coming weeks,” the minister said.

Minister Väyrynen is currently on a two-day visit in Washington, where he has meetings with representatives of the American administration, the World Bank and think tanks. He also had talks with representatives of the European American Chamber of Commerce. From Washington Väyrynen continues to New York on 3 July, when he will present Finland’s development policy at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) session now in progress.

Additional information: Ritva Koukku-Ronde, Director General of the Department for Development Policy, mobile tel. +358 40 830 4868; Deputy Director General Päivi Luostarinen, mobile tel. +358 40 703 2345; and Päivi Nevala, Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development. mobile tel. +358 40 753 4375