Karelia, Finland Satisfied with Trade Relations

Karelian President Sergei Katanandov and Finnish General Consul in Saint Petersburg Jamsen Kauko met on Wednesday, December 4, in Petrozavodsk to discuss the results of cooperation between Karelia and Finland in 2002. According to the press office of the Karelian president, both sides expressed their satisfaction with current Finland-Karelia relations.

The Finnish consul mentioned increased trade and a higher commodity turnover as well as health and tourism projects and social programmes. As an example of Finnish investment in the Karelian economy he mentioned the construction of a timber factory in the Pitkyarantsk Region.

At the same time the consul expressed his concern that the Russian government's decision to translate all languages spoken on Russian territory into the Cyrillic alphabet may endanger the development of the Karelian language in the republic.

According to the press office Mr Katanandov and Mr Kauko agreed to hold a meeting in June 2003 in either Petrozavodsk or Saint Petersburg with Karelian timber enterprises and Finnish investors and timber merchants.