BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS – Special Representative of Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Ambassador Pasi Patokallio discussed matters of cooperation between his country and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) during last week’s 14th Meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) of the Caribbean Community here in St. Kitts.
“I am here to discuss various matters of cooperation that we have with many Caribbean countries including St. Kitts and Nevis. Our visit is to attend this meeting as it is a perfect opportunity to meet the various Ministers of Foreign Affairs from the Caribbean countries,” Ambassador Patokallio, who is based in Helsinki, told the Communications Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister (CUOPM) following the formal opening of the two-day meeting at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.
Finland’s Caracas-based Ambassador to CARICOM and the OECS, His Excellency Mikko Pyhala said his European nation has several cooperation agreements in the areas of sustainable energy, education and on governance with all the CARICOM countries and particularly with the OECS countries.
“We are developing a seminar on environmental diplomacy for the OECS countries and we also have quite a lot of bilateral agreements and initiatives with individual CARICOM countries and it’s very useful to be in these kinds of meetings to get new ideas to come to an agreement and to see how the cooperation is going ahead,” Ambassador Pyhala said.
Expressing a pleasure to be in St. Kitts, he said “This is wonderful country. Your country is so beautiful; there is so much to see. It is quite an attraction and we also want to promote tourism from Finland to countries that can receive visitors and have the requisite attractions.”
St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas (right) greets Finland’s Caracas-based Ambassador to CARICOM and the OECS, His Excellency Mikko Pyhala (center) as Special Representative of Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Ambassador Pasi Patokallio (left) looks on. (Photo by Erasmus Williams)
