€5 Billion Target in Bilateral Trade Volume Between Turkey and Finland
In her assessment to the AA correspondent, Minister Valtonen stated that the friendship between the two countries dates back 100 years and that this is truly remarkable when looking at the history of Europe or the region.
Pointing out that Turkey and Finland are two countries that are good allies and very close partners, Valtonen said, "The two countries also have a similar historical background such as the struggle for independence. Therefore, even though we are geographically a little further away, we have a lot in common. Obviously, Finland supports Turkey's progress on the path to the European Union."
Valtonen pointed to the importance of improving trade conditions and reforming the Customs Union for what can be done in the economic field, saying, "There is a lot that Turkish and Finnish companies can do in the fields of innovation, trade, and services. But the most important thing is to invest in the future. At this point, we see great potential on both sides."
Reminding that Finland has been a strong advocate of Turkey's EU membership for many years, Valtonen made the following assessments:
"There is always a way for countries to implement all the reforms they need to go through to achieve membership. We are pleased to point out that, at this time when wars are taking place in Europe and the Middle East, it is time to consider the geostrategic perspective as well. In this context, we value Turkey as an extraordinarily important partner and as a future EU member."
Valtonen stated that the trade volume between Finland and Turkey has been increasing gradually in recent years, stating that it has now reached 2.7 billion euros and that they aim to reach 5 billion euros as soon as possible.
"There is interest in Turkey from the business world and investors of Finland"
Stating that there is interest in Turkey from the business world and investors of Finland, Valtonen said, "I would like to invite our Turkish friends to Slush, one of Europe's most important technology and startup events to be held in Helsinki, the capital of Finland."
Valtonen stated that the Slush event is a great environment for small or large companies to present their innovations, saying, "Slush will be an environment where all investors from all over the world will be there and you can find the best partners to take your ideas forward."
"We expect the number of Finnish companies to increase greatly over the years"
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen stated that they expect the number of Finnish companies in Turkey to increase greatly over the years, and that they are trying very hard for this, and that all the companies she has met are satisfied and want to grow.
Referring to the fact that they focused on bilateral relations, developments in the Middle East, and the Russia-Ukraine War as part of their visit to Turkey with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Valtonen said, "Of course, we also focused on issues such as Turkey's path to EU membership, which we support, and how to advance it."