Finnish minister to visit Indonesia to boost economic and trade ties

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Finland's Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Mari Kiviniemi will visit Indonesia from Oct. 8 to Oct. 11, 2005 to strengthen economic and trade relations between the two countries, the Finnish Embassy in Jakarta said.

"During her three-day visit, Kiviniemi will meet with Coordinating Minister for the Economy Aburizal Bakrie, Minister of Trade Mari Elka Pangestu and other senior Indonesian officials," the embassy said in a press release sent to The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

The 37-year-old Kiviniemi, who is also the Minister at the Prime Minister's Office, is bringing a big Finnish business delegation with her.

"The minister will visit Banda Aceh on Saturday to get acquainted with the reconstruction efforts following the tsunami disaster. She will meet the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency for Aceh and Nias (BRR) chairman Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, Aceh acting governor Azwar Abubakar, UN agencies and members of the Aceh Monitoring Mission (AMM)," Finland's Ambassador to Indonesia Markku Niinioja told the Post.

Finland played a key role in facilitating the historic talks in Helsinki between the Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels. The two parties signed a memorandum of understanding to end hostilities in Aceh.

According to Ambassador Niinioja, Kiviniemi and Aburizal will open a Finnish-Indonesian Business Forum on Monday and an exhibition on Finnish society and economy in Jakarta.

"Kiviniemi will also sign an agreement with World Bank country director Andrew D. Steer on Finland's contribution of 8 million euros (US$10 million) to the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Aceh and North Sumatra on Monday evening," Niinioja said.

Finland, a small but rich country in northern Europe, has pledged 50 million euros ($61 million) for the tsunami-affected countries in Asia, including Indonesia. Of this amount some 30 million euros are for reconstruction. Aceh itself will get 8 million euros from Finland through the Multi-Donor Trust Fund. Finland also contributed 3 million euros to the Food and Agriculture Organization and another 2 million euros to the International Labor Organization (ILO).