President of Kazakhstan visited Finland

President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan was on a state visit in Finland on 23-25 March 2009. Reception ceremonies and official talks with President of the Republic Tarja Halonen took place at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, 24 March. Talks focused particularly on Kazakhstan's upcoming chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Presidents' joint press conference is available as a video recording. "I believe that a successful chairmanship of the OSCE will be important not only for Kazakhstan but also for closer cooperation between Europe and the countries of Central Asia," President Halonen said at the press conference. "We have also offered friendly collegial help, since we have just finished holding the chairmanship." President Halonen added that Finland is establishing an embassy in Astana, which is the capital of Kazakhstan.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan and President Tarja Halonen. Copyright © Office of the President of the Republic of Finland

According to President Halonen, Kazakhstan is an important key country for Finns, who want closer ties with Central Asia. She noted that Finland supports the development of relations between the European Union and Kazakhstan as well as Kazakhstan's application for membership of the World Trade Organization. President Nazarbayev thanked Finland for its support for his country's chairmanship of the OSCE and accession to the WTO. "We consider Finland an important state among the EU countries in developing cooperation."

"Finland and Kazakhstan are complementary economies"

On Wednesday, 25 March President Nazarbayev met with representatives of the Confederation of Finnish Industries and learned more about high-tech companies and Finland's innovation policy in Otaniemi. In President Nazarbayev's opinion Finland and Kazakhstan are complementary economies. Kazakhstan has rich mineral resources while Finland's strengths lie in technology, development work and education. "I believe that this will lead to good cooperation," President Nazarbayev said.

At the beginning of the press conference a tax agreement and a protocol on cooperation in the field of education were signed between the governments of Finland and Kazakhstan. According to President Halonen, particularly environmental technology and forestry are areas in which Finns have a lot to offer. "Good, honest and efficient administration is also an important matter for the business world."

On Tuesday President Nazarbayev also met with Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, visited Parliament and gave a talk at the Paasikivi Society.

Speech by President Halonen at a banquet given in honour of President of Kazakhstan