Finland takes a massive stride closer to Vietnam

The high profile visit witnessed positive talk about the two nations’ warm partnership

President Tarja Halonen met with top Vietnamese leaders including Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, President Nguyen Minh Triet, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong during her February 21-23 mission to Hanoi.

Halonen said the two sides would focus on economic, trade and investment along with boosting development, cooperation in education and training and labour.
“We could become better partners in business. This is what we are to try to establish and together with Vietnamese authorities and the business community to weigh up how to get there,” said Halonen.

There were five documents signed during her visit, including an agreement on investment promotion and protection, an agreement on financial support to a multi-donor trust fund for forests, a memorandum of understanding on scientific and technological cooperation, an air traffic agreement and a memorandum on cooperation between Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Confederation of Finnish Industries.
Finish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen said the relationship with Vietnam was moving from development assistance to an economic partnership.

“We have a new form of development aid for trade and have reserved $30 million per year for Vietnam for the years to come,” said Väyrynen.
Vietnam and Finland can create a more equal relationship via soft and commercial loans in which the private sector can enter markets through initial government contracts.

“I want to boost investment from Finland’s enterprises to Vietnam in sectors such as shipbuilding, paper production including paper pulp production, information and communication technology [ICT] and food processing,” said Vo Hong Phuc, Minister of Planning and Investment.
Confederation of Finnish Industries EK said the memorandum with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry would connect business from the two countries.

“Vietnam’s market is very promising. This is evident by the fact that this is the largest ever delegation from Finland to Southeast Asia,” said Antti Herlin, the confederation’s board chairman.
“Every body in Vietnam knows clean water with Finnish supply systems and this make us start thinking about cooperation in clean technologies in general, not only in clean water where Finnish enterprises have strong points,” said Herlin.