JEDDAH, 23 October 2007 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held talks here yesterday with Finnish President Tarja Halonen on major regional and international issues, focusing on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in all areas, the Saudi Press Agency said.
During the meeting, King Abdullah conferred on President Halonen the King Abdul Aziz Medallion, which is awarded to heads of state and world leaders. The Finnish president reciprocated by awarding King Abdullah her country’s top medal, the Order of the White Rose.
At the beginning of their meeting, King Abdullah welcomed Halonen, the first Finnish head of state to visit Saudi Arabia, and her entourage and wished them a happy stay in the Kingdom. Halonen thanked the king for the warm welcome and generous hospitality that has been accorded to her and her delegation.
Crown Prince Sultan, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Prince Miteb, Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal and State Minister Abdullah Zainal attended the summit talks between King Abdullah and President Halonen.
Earlier, Halonen was given an official welcome at King Abdullah’s palace when the national anthems of both countries were played and the Finnish president received a guard of honor.
Halonen visited the historical downtown area of Jeddah earlier in the day, including Naseef House, ancient buildings and old markets.
During her three-day visit, Halonen will have a separate meeting with Crown Prince Sultan, Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) Gov. Amr Al-Dabbagh, and other Saudi officials. Yesterday, she met Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Finnish Minister of Trade and Industry Mauri Pekkarinen, who is accompanying the president, held talks with Acting Commerce and Industry Minister Dr. Abdul Mohsen Al-Akkas, Water and Electricity Minister Abdullah Al-Hosayen and Transport Minister Dr. Jabara Al-Seraisry on expanding cooperation in investment, desalination, sewage water treatment and railways.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Al-Akkas said the Finnish minister had expressed his country’s desire to invest in service and telecom sectors. “He was also impressed by the Kingdom’s new mega economic cities and the new King Abdullah University of Science and Technology,” he said.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Economy and Planning, Finland is among the highest exporters of mobile phones to Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom imported nearly five million mobile phones worth SR3 billion from the country in 2005. Saudi Arabia exports petrochemicals to Finland for the manufacture of plastic products.
Halonen is accompanied by a large delegation of Finnish businessmen led by Ole Johansson, CEO and president of the Finnish company Wartsila. Several executives from Finland’s cargo and environmental sectors have said that they are seeking investment opportunities in many of the Kingdom’s projects, including the land-bridge project that will link the Kingdom’s east with its west. Among important deals that would be signed between the two countries during the presidential visit is a memorandum of understanding to protect and promote investments.
Diplomatic relations between Finland and Saudi Arabia were officially established in 1969. Finland opened its first embassy in Jeddah in 1974, which was then moved to Riyadh in 1985. According to a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Finland, Saudi Arabia is planning to open an embassy in Finland’s capital, Helsinki, following the president’s visit.
