Statement by Ministers Tuomioja and Lehtomäki regarding the Baghdad events

Press release 71/2004
22 March, 2004


Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paula Lehtomäki issued the following statement with regard to the events in Baghdad: "We are deeply shocked by the brutal murder of two Finnish businessmen in Baghdad this morning. On behalf of the Finnish government and ourselves, we would like to extend our condolences to the families and friends of the victims. The events in Baghdad demonstrate the amount of work we have ahead of us in our cooperation with the Iraqi people in rebuilding the nation and making it secure."

Further information: Eija Rotinen, Head of Unit, tel. +358 9 160 56538, and Leena Ritola, Counsellor, tel. +358 9 160 56278, at the Unit for the Middle East and North Africa, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and information on the business delegation Markku Alhonen, Director, Technology Industries of Finland, tel. +358 9 192 3391, +358 40 564 9949