Russia becomes Finland's biggest trade partner in 2010 - PM

HELSINKI, August 9 (Itar-Tass) - Last year Russia became Finland's
biggest trade partner, Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen told Tass
ahead of the first working visit to Russia.
Trade between the two countries amounted to about 14 billion euros,
the prime minister said. Finnish investments in the Russian economy were
over eight billion euros, he stressed.
He also emphasized that despite the world economic crisis, Finnish
companies have not withdrawn from the Russian market. Over 600 Finnish
enterprises at which over 50,000 people work currently operate in Russia,
the prime minister said.
An extension of the agreement on the lease of the Saimaa Canal and the
launch of high-speed railway communication between Helsinki and St.
Petersburg were the most important results of bilateral cooperation last
year, Jyrki Katainen said.
The prime minister confirmed that Finland strongly supports Russia's
WTO bid. This will create a good basis for the development of bilateral
trade and investments, he said.
The prime minister also put emphasis on the development of tourism
between Russia and Finland. Russian nationals are the biggest part of
foreign tourists in Finland. Finnish diplomatic missions in Russia (the
Finnish Embassy in Moscow, the Consulate-General in St. Petersburg and its
missions in Murmansk and Petrozavodsk - ed) last year issued about one
million visas, of which 80 percent were multi-entry visas, the prime
minister said.
According to him, an intensive political dialogue is one of the key
factors contributing to cooperation between Moscow and Helsinki. Relations
between Russia and Finland are good, he said. The presidents of the two
countries, the prime ministers, the foreign ministers and the chairmen of
the intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation meet twice a
year, the prime minister stressed.
He confirmed Finland's bid to continue developing with Russia
good-neighbourly relations and active multi-faceted cooperation in all
spheres and at all levels.
He believes that the practice of personal meetings of the two
countries' prime ministers twice a year is an excellent way to promote
relations and cooperation between the two countries.