Prime Minister Sipilä to participate in Africa-Europe forum

Prime Minister Juha Sipilä will participate in the High-Level Africa-Europe Forum to be held on 17 and 18 December in Vienna, Austria.

In Finland’s view, it is important to develop relations between the EU and Africa at a more strategic level through deeper and more broad-ranging cooperation. Finland also considers it important to develop the EU-Africa partnership in a more balanced direction. Finland supports increasing investments in Africa, particularly those targeted at curbing and adapting to climate change. Finland also wishes to focus on the opportunities presented by digitalisation and the need to create new jobs, particularly for women and young people.

More profound cooperation between the continents is an essential way to mitigate the factors that force people to leave their home countries due to threats to their lives or a lack of opportunities to earn a livelihood.

Inquiries: Jani Raappana, Special Adviser (international affairs), tel. +358 295 160 306 and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister's Office