/ / News
21.06.2013

Belarus, Finland see great prospects for bilateral cooperation

VILNIUS, 21 June (BelTA) – Belarus and Finland see great prospects for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in the economic, educational, scientific and cultural areas as well as sports and tourism. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to Lithuania and Finland Vladimir Drazhin told BelTA.

According to the diplomat, the interest to Belarus is on the rise in Finland alongside with the expansion of the Belarusian-Finnish political dialogue, strengthening of contacts between the foreign political agencies and state management establishments of the two countries, expansion of cultural relations.

“Our foreign economic partnership has been steadily expanding. Increasing investments and the number of joint projects testify to the fact,” Vladimir Drazhin said. The Ambassador cited as an example the plans of the Finnish power concern MW Power to partake in the reconstruction of the CHP plant in Mozyr (€50 million in investments), an investment cooperation between Finland’s Olvi and Lidskoye Pivo, the Finnish corporation Kesko and its Lithuanian partner Senukai with the Belarusian retailer OMA.

This interest, according to the diplomat, is most evident today during the Days of Belarusian Culture that opened in Finland on 18 June. The Days, organized by the Belarusian embassy in cooperation with the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Helsinki, comprised expositions from the funds of the State Yanka Kupala Literature Museum, a book fair by the the Petrus Brovka Belarusian Encyclopedia publishing house, and a presentation of the palace and park ensemble Nesvizh. The Finns listened to Yanka Kupala’s poems translated into Finnish. The audience enjoyed the folk group Kupalinka as well as

The Days of Belarusian Culture were attended by representatives of the Foreign Ministry and other government bodies of Finland, business and banking circles, the Belarusian diaspora as well as cultural figures and journalists. Interest in the events was demonstrated by diplomats of various countries including Kazakhstan, Poland, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia