Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit to visit Finland

Press release 177/2006
8 June, 2006


Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Foreign Minister of Egypt, will visit Finland on 14 June, at the invitation of Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. During his stay, Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit will also meet the Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and Finnish Parliament member Liisa Jaakonsaari, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit will also deliver a talk on Egypt’s view of the Middle East situation at the Paasikivi Society.

The goals of Finland’s EU Presidency, topical political issues, Egyptian domestic policy and Finnish-Egyptian bilateral relations will be discussed during the visit. The ministers will also discuss the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership/Barcelona Process. Finland will chair the Foreign Ministers’ Follow-Up Meeting for the Barcelona Process–EUROMED to be held in Tampere on 27–28 November.

Egypt has long been one of Finland’s partner countries. In accordance with the Government’s decision in principle made on 5 February 2004, following a transition period, project-type development cooperation with Egypt will cease at the end of 2007. The objective is to diversify cooperation between Finland and Egypt by strengthening commercial relations and increasing cooperation between institutions, particularly in the sectors of information society and the environment.

Relations between the EU and Egypt are going through an active phase, though the EU has long been a main financier of development cooperation in Egypt. The EU–Egypt Association Agreement came into force in June 2004; its aims are gradual transfer to a free trade area and reinforcing political, economic and social relations between the EU and Egypt. Negotiations pertaining to the European Neighbourhood Policy (the ENP), which is broad in scope, are nearing conclusion. Implementation of the ENP will be launched during Finland’s EU Presidency.

Additional information: Counsellor Anna Gebremedhin, Unit for the Middle East and North Africa, tel. +358 9 1605 6396