Finland is interested in creation of the joint companies with Belarus, Jorma Turunen, CEO of the Finnish Foreign Trade Association (Finpro).

“Finland is interested in creation of the joint companies with Belarus. At the same time, the concrete proposals for their creation should be made by Finnish and Belarusian companies directly,” Jorma Turunen said. He also added that at present, a number of Finnish companies have already had an experience of the successful cooperation with Belarusian partners. For instance, he noted the Finnish company Metso Minerals which specializes in excavation machinery production.

According to Jorma Turunen, the Finnish side intends to propose new technologies to improve competitiveness of Belarusian companies on the world market.

A delegation of the Finnish officials and businessmen is in Minsk on 14-15 September. The delegation is headed by Under-Secretary of State of Finland Pekka Huhtaniemi, who supervises the external economic relations. The delegation consists of high-ranking officials of the Finnish Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Employment and Economy, and Bank of Finland, alongside with the administration of the Finnish Foreign Trade Association (Finpro).

In 2008, Belarusian-Finnish trade turnover totaled $287.6 million that is 4% up on 2007. Belarusian export amounted to $115.6 million (up more than 107%). The import from Finland surged by 67% to $172 million. The trade deficit was $56.4 million.

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