Foreign policy leaders shuttle around Africa
President and four ministers on separate trips in Africa
President Tarja Halonen
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Astrid Thors
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Alexander Stubb
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Paavo Väyrynen
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All of Finland’s top foreign policy-makers, with the exception of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre), are in Africa this week.
Visiting the continent are President Tarja Halonen , Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party), Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paavo Väyrynen (Centre), and Immigration and European Affairs Minister Astrid Thors (Swedish People’s Party).
The fact that the separate visits are occurring at about the same time is largely a coincidence.
President Halonen is paying state visits to Senegal and Liberia, and official visits to Nigeria and Benin.
Halonen will meet with the heads of state of four countries, as well as their political leaders. Halonen is also taking part in a women’s leadership conference in Liberia. She will further learn about a project of the movement for African child workers, and will visit a remembrance centre of the slave trade on the island of Gorée.
Astrid Thors is a member of the President’s delegation.
Foreign Minister Stubb is visiting Egypt, Chad, and Ethiopia. Stubb is attending an international conference on the rebuilding of Gaza. The conference will bring together nearly 50 ministers from various countries, including US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
In Chad Stubb will learn about the EU’s crisis management operation, and the activities of about 60 Finnish peacekeepers in the east of the country.
In the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa Stubb will speak at a high-level seminar on peace mediation. Also attending will be the recent Nobel Peace Prize Winner, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari.
Early on Wednesday morning, Stubb is to run in the company of four-times 10,000 metre world champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist Haile Gebreselassie. Stubb himself is a triathlon runner.
Before returning to Finland early on Thursday morning, Stubb will stop off in Malta and Brussels.
Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paavo Väyrynen will be in South Africa and Zambia, where the focus will be on trade and economic ties.
In South Africa, Väyrynen will meet with a number of ministers, including the Minister of Science and Technology, as well as the Minister of Energy and Mining.
Zambia is one of Finland’s eight long-term development cooperation partners. Väyrynen is scheduled to meet with Zambian President Rupiah Banda as well as the country’s finance, foreign affairs, trade and industry, agriculture, and environment ministers.
He will also visit Luapula Province, where he will acquaint himself with a rural development project financed by Finland.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 4.3.2009 - TODAY |
 Foreign policy leaders shuttle around Africa |
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