Finland continues to be a key trading partner for Kazakhstan in Northern Europe, with bilateral trade turnover reaching $208.2mn by the end of 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan reported.
Kazakhstan has expressed a strong interest in further deepening its cooperation with Finland, extending its best wishes for Finland's upcoming chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 2025.
This affirmation came during a meeting between Roman Vassilenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, and Soili Mäkeläinen-Buhanist, the Ambassador of Finland to Kazakhstan.
Vassilenko and Mäkeläinen-Buhanist addressed current issues concerning Kazakh-Finnish cooperation across political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres. They also discussed their countries' collaboration within the OSCE and other multilateral organizations, underscoring the importance of sustaining an active political dialogue at the highest levels between Kazakhstan and Finland.
Vassilenko highlighted the productive results of a recent telephone conversation between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan and President Alexander Stubb of Finland. This dialogue stressed a mutual commitment to enhancing contacts and cooperation across the full spectrum of Kazakh-Finnish relations.
In the economic arena, both diplomats praised the outcomes of recent engagements, notably the visit of Finland's Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, Ville Tavio, to Kazakhstan, and the 13th meeting of the bilateral Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, held in Astana on April 11, 2024.
Additionally, a detailed exchange of views took place on issues related to the OSCE, focusing on Finland's priorities as it prepares for its chairmanship in 2025, marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. The Kazakh delegation reaffirmed their readiness to support Finland’s efforts to enhance the OSCE's capabilities across all three dimensions: military-political, economic-environmental, and human.
Both parties emphasized the crucial role of the OSCE in addressing contemporary regional and global challenges and confirmed their intent to further develop their partnership.
Kazakhstan exported $3.1mn worth of goods to Finland and imported $205.1mn, marking a 3.2% increase compared to 2022. From January to April 2024, trade turnover stood at $67.4mn, with exports amounting to $2.8mn and imports totaling $64.6mn.
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