Prime Minister Katainen and Minister Stubb to Turkey

In Ankara, on Wednesday 18 April, Prime Minister Katainen will have discussions with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The discussion will focus on bilateral relations between the two countries, peace mediation, the European Union – including Turkey's accession negotiations – and key international issues. Minister Stubb and Minister of the Interior, Päivi Räsänen, will also participate in the meeting with Prime Minister Erdoğan.

In addition to Prime Minister Erdoğan, Katainen will meet Speaker of the Parliament Mehmet Cemil Çiçek and Minister of Finance, Mehmet Şimşek. Prime Minister Katainen and Minister Stubb will also meet Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan a number of other sectoral ministers to discuss, for example, possibilities to strengthen cooperation between Finnish and Turkish companies. Lunch discussion with Deputy Prime Minister Babacan will focus on Turkey's economic perspectives and ways to promote trade relations between Finland and Turkey, and the countries' bilateral relations.

On Thursday, 19 April, Prime Minister Katainen and Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Stubb will attend a Finnish-Turkish business seminar organised by Finpro in Istanbul. Finpro is a global organisation building the growth and success of Finnish companies in international markets.

The Ministers will be accompanied by delegation of Finnish businessmen representing some 40 export companies in the fields of energy, the environment, health, ICT, mining, metal and forestry. Companies representing financing, education, logistics and business services will also take part in the delegation coordinated by Finpro. A list of the companies is annexed.

Turkey has grown into an increasingly significant market area and its regional weight provides ample opportunities for the development of trade and economic relations. Economic growth in Turkey has rocketed – in 2011 the economy grew by 8.5%. Over the past few years, trade between Turkey and Finland has also grown. In 2011, trade between Finland and Turkey totalled more than 1.2 billion euros with a high surplus balance for Finland. Finland's main exports include paper, cardboard and related products, power machines and motors, and appliances related to telecommunications, radio, television and the like. Turkey exports motor vehicles, clothes and other textile products to Finland.

Currently, some 30 wholly or partially Finnish-owned companies operate in Turkey. In addition, some 200 Finnish companies have business representatives there.

Inquiries: Antti Vänskä, Special Adviser, International Affairs, tel. +358 9 7231 2068 or +358 40 513 1458; Antti Timonen, Press Attaché to the Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade, tel. +358 40 590 7231 or [email protected]; Marjo Mäki-Leppilampi, Counsellor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5081 or +358 40 743 3851; and Kari Mokko, Director of Government Communications, tel. +358 9 1602 2012 or +358 40 751 3281

ANNEX
Finnish business delegation to Turkey, 17–20 April 2012

3T Results Ltd
Ahlström Capital Oy
Aplicom Oy
Arctic Machine Oy
Association of Social Service Employers
Biohit Oyj
BusinessOulu
Capricode Oy
CHS Holding Oy
Clewer Sales Ltd.
Commit; Oy
Componenta Corporation
Comptel Corporation
Confederation of Finnish Industries EK
Ecobio Ltd.
Emtele Ltd
Finnish Sawmills Association
Finnsusp Oy
Finnvera Plc
Fortum Corporation
Gemalto Oy
HAMK University of Applied Sciences
Keitele Forest Oy
Konecranes Plc
Lappset Group Ltd.
Mipro Oy
Mirasys Oy
Nokia Siemens Networks
Nordea Bank
Outotec Oyj
PerkinElmer, Wallac Oy
Planmeca Group
Pölkky Oy
RemoteA Ltd
Savaterra Oy
Stonesoft Oyj
Suomen Ekolannoite Oy
TeliaSonera
Walki Group Oy
Wärtsilä Enpa Dış Tic.A.Ş.
Wihuri Oy