Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen to Slovakia for export promotion

Press release 240/2007
8 November 2007

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will make an export promotion trip to Slovakia on 12–13 November. The minister will be accompanied by a business delegation of over ten people including, among others, representatives of the forest industry, the telecommunications and the environment sector.

The goal of the visit is to promote contacts between Finnish and Slovakian business and Finnish companies’ trade with Slovakia. Finland’s foreign trade turnover with Slovakia has remained slight, although Slovakia’s foreign trade has all but doubled over the past four years. Favourable economic trends in Slovakia form a good base for further development of economic relations. During the visit, attention will also be paid to promoting investments between Finland and Slovakia.

Minister Väyrynen’s host in Slovakia will be Minister of Economy Ľubomír Jahnátek, who is responsible for foreign trade. In addition, Minister Väyrynen will meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ján Kubiš. At their meeting, aside from opportunities for increasing trade and economic cooperation, the ministers will discuss bilateral relations, climate issues and topical EU affairs.

Additional information: First Secretary Christina Lehtinen, Unit for Central and South-Eastern Europe, tel. +358 9 1605 6572; and Ossi Martikainen, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, mobile tel. +358 40 592 6769