Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland, Ms Lenita Toivakka, leads a Team Finland visit to Iran

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development of Finland, Ms Lenita Toivakka, will make a Team Finland visit to Iran on 7–10 December 2015. She will be accompanied by a delegation of 70 representatives of Finnish companies. The members of the delegation represent companies in the fields of bioeconomy, environmentally clean technologies, ICT and construction.

"The visit offers an excellent opportunity for us to present leading-edge Finnish expertise in several sectors on the emerging Iranian market," Minister Toivakka says.

There will be high-level meetings in which Finnish companies' business contacts and projects in Iran will be promoted. The Minister and the members of her delegation will meet both Iranian ministers and representatives of other state institutions. Minister Toivakka will also open a Finnish-Iranian business seminar in Tehran, where the accompanying Finnish companies will have an opportunity to meet their Iranian partners.

In the near future, if the sanctions will be removed as planned during 2016, Iran’s economic growth may be significant. The growth may be as much as 5–8 percent during the next five years. Iran has launched a national recovery programme of EUR 2.5 billion and it attaches great importance to the modernization of its economy. In this situation, Finland may be well positioned to increase trade and economic cooperation with Iran. In Iran, Finland is already well known for its high quality products and innovative solutions. The objective of this visit is to take the next step and to help establish new business contacts between Finland and Iran.

The visit is organised together with Finpro, which is part of Team Finland.

The following companies are represented in the delegation:

Abloy Oy
Amomatic Oy
Aurelia Turbines Oy
Cargotec
Comptel
Dinolift Oy
East Consulting Oy
Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Pirkanmaa (ELY Centre)
FINNFUND
Finnvera
FM Timber Team Oy
Geological Survey of Finland (GTK)
Handelsbanken
Häme University of Applied Sciences  (HAMK)
Finnish Meteorological Institute
International ThermoWood Association
Jartek Invest Oy
JPJ-Wood Oy
Kalottikone Ltd
Finnish Chambers of Commerce
KONE
Leipurin Group Oyj
Oy Lunawood Ltd
Magnusson Finland
Merus Power Dynamics Oy
Metsäliitto Cooperative, Metsä Wood
Metsäntuottajat Oy
Mipro Oy
Neste Jacobs Oy
Nestor Cables Oy
Nokia Corporation
Nordea
Oilon Oy
OP Financial Group
Orion Pharma
Outotec Oyj
REACHLaw Ltd
Remu Oy
Siparila Oy
Sleipner Finland Oy
Sormat Oy
Stora Enso
Finnish Sawmills
Tammiston Puu
Tecnotree Corporation
Oy Timber Frame Ltd
UPM Plywood
Valmet
Versowood Oy
Wellquip Oy
Wärtsilä Corporation

Inquiries:

Tiina Larvala, Counsellor, tel. +358 50 598 0106, Unit for the Middle East and North Africa, and Emma Hannonen, Special Adviser to Minister Toivakka, tel. +358 50 574 0736