HELSINKI, 19 October 2007 — Saudi Arabia is working on opening an official embassy in Finland as a sign of the positive development in relations between the two countries, a senior Finnish Foreign Ministry told Arab News recently.
“One indication of this visit is that you (Saudi Arabia) are planning to open an embassy here in Helsinki,” said Teemu Tanner, director general of Africa and the Middle East at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Tanner was referring to Finnish President Tarja Halonen’s visit to the Kingdom for the first time on Sunday.
“We regard this as extremely important for relations,” he said, adding that it is only a matter of time for the embassy to open.
A trade delegation, headed by Saudi Minister of Trade and Commerce Hashim Yamani, is expected to visit Finland next month to further boost relations.
In recent discussions held with representatives of the Saudi press in Helsinki, the official said the visit would help intensify relations between the two countries.
“Our relationship is no longer in relation to trade,” said Tanner. “More broadly, we will discuss regional and global issues. It is extremely important for us to know Saudi Arabia’s views on Iraq, Iran, but also issues such as Somalia... One objective of the visit is to convey notes on international questions, as we enter a very interesting phase in the Middle East peace process,” he added.
The official also said that Saudi Arabia has played an “active role” in the Middle East, describing the upcoming presidential visit as a “landmark” for relations. The visit would also “crystallize” Finland’s image to Saudi Arabia, he said.
Tanner mentioned that Saudi Arabia was also an important economic partner for Finland, as the Kingdom is currently rated among the 5th largest importing countries for Finnish products.
Other issues that the leaders from both countries will be discussing during the Finnish president’s visit are issues of energy, the role of science, environmental issues, combating terrorism and other human-interest issues.
Tourism is another potential area for cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Finland, Tanner said.
“We have a lot to offer,” he said, adding that tour packages for Finnish tourists to Saudi Arabia, such as those being organized to the United Arab Emirates, could be possibly arranged in the future. “Clearly, tourism will not be left out,” he said.
Finnish Muslims often visit the Kingdom to perform religious rituals such as Haj and Umrah.
Diplomatic relations between Finland and Saudi Arabia were officially established in 1969, and Finland opened its embassy in Jeddah in 1974. The embassy was then moved to Riyadh in 1985.
The volume of trade between Saudi Arabia and Finland has been estimated to be worth 840 million euros. Finland mainly exports to the Kingdom mobile phones, paper, wood and machinery. Saudi Arabia on the other hand exports to Finland raw materials for the manufacture of plastic.
