Current affairs

Speech by Minister Paavo Väyrynen at Zambia-Finland Business Forum

“The Finnish development policy programme provides a solid foundation for responding the current development policy challenges: the economic crisis, the food crisis and the climate change,” says Ritva Koukku-Ronde, Director General, Department for Development Policy, when answering the recent midway review of the Finnish development policy, conducted by Service Centre for Development Cooperation KEPA.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen ended his two-day visit to Zambia in the evening of 5 March by meeting with President Rupiah Banda. Minister Väyrynen and President Banda had a constructive and many-sided discussion on relations between the two countries and topical international questions.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will visit the Republic of South Africa and Zambia during the first week of March. The minister will be in South Africa on 2–3 March. Expansion and diversification of political and trade relations between Finland and South Africa will be discussed during the visit, as Finland’s donor-type development aid will cease by the year 2010.