Prime Minister of Finland Visits Tanzania

The Prime Minister of Finland visited Tanzania with the aim of boosting trade relations.

Jyrki Katainen, the Finnish Prime Minister led a business delegation of 27 Finnish companies from a variety of sectors including energy, construction and infrastructure in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on the 29-30 January to strengthen business and development links between the two countries.

Prime Minister Katainen was accompanied by Head of Delegation of the EU in Tanzania Filiberto Ceriani Sebregondi as they took time on the their trip to visit the Tanzania Port in Dar es Salaam and meet Dr Harrison Mwakyembe, Minister of Transport.

Throughout his visit the Prime Minister sought to encourage trade partnerships between Finnish and Tanzanian companies as well as improve bilateral relations and development links between Tanzania and Finland.

During his speech at the Finland-Tanzania Business Roundtable Prime Minister Katainen stressed that: ” We are here to explore long-term commercial partnerships between Finland and Tanzania. Commercial relations underpinned by high technology are based on long-term commitment instead of just the buying and selling of goods. We want to develop long-term investment relations in which both parties learn from each other and make better business together”.

When speaking exclusively with TanzaniaInvest, Prime Minister Katainen further explained that Tanzania was chosen because : “The Finnish business community wanted to come to Tanzania.”

He also noted that the business areas which are thriving in Finland such as mining, renewable energy, clean technology are well suited to the needs of Tanzania.

“We are known as a knowledge based society and our companies can offer solutions both on bigger and smaller based projects. They see a lot of opportunities such as the energy sector and agribusiness particularly,” he noted.

Lastly, PM Katainen commended the efforts of the Tanzanian Government in finding sustainable solutions for gas and energy which would ensure that the wider Tanzanian society would benefit.

Mr Katainen also attended a roundtable discussion in Dar es Salaam during his visit in which he expressed the need for African countries to be given space in managing their resources and improving the lives of their people.

Finnish Primer Minister Jyrki Katainen in conversation with Eric Tirabassi of TanzaniaInvest

Tanzania and Finland have a history of long term cooperation dating back officially to 1962.

Finland is currently one of Tanzania’s eight long term development partner countries and Finnish bilateral development aid to Tanzania was EURO 27 million in 2013.