Finland’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Hannu Ripatti Friday evening hosted a reception to celebrate 107th Independence Day of his country and to reaffirm his nation’s belief in democracy, equality, fairness and rule of law.
Ambassador of the European Union (EU) Dr Riina Kionka, ambassadors and diplomats of the EU and other nations attended the reception and greeted Mr and MrsRipatti, Deputy Head of Mission (DHM) Anssi Kullberg and their fellow nationals on the auspicious occasion.
The reception turned out to be a well-attended yet a ‘non-VIP’ affair as there was no minister ‘Chief Guest’ nor there were long, tedious speeches that one usually happens to listen to on such occasions.
Earlier, national anthems of Finland and Pakistan were played and a cake was also cut to mark the National Day of Finland.
The venue was decorated with the colours of Finland, its flag and that of the EU reflecting the lively, rich spirit of the European and the Finnish people.
In his brief speech, Ambassador Ripatti said Finland and Pakistan enjoyed cordial relations which could further expand in diverse sectors.
The Finnish envoy also mentioned Ukraine and Gaza in his speech and called for end to aggression and bloodshed.
It may be mentioned here that Finland ambassador held a productive meeting last month with Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and discussed with him strategies for expanding trade ties and exploring untapped areas for collaboration.
Both sides agreed on tapping unutilized resources and expanding partnership in areas such as education, information technology, textile, health, construction, and social development.
According to a senior government official present at the reception, there is a possibility of a government-level delegation from Finland visiting Pakistan which could mark a milestone for both countries with expectations to solidify agreements and increase investment opportunities.
One of the key initiatives of the Pak-Finland cooperation is establishment of the National Compliance Council (NCC), which seeks to ensure that local products meet international standards, the official said adding the NCC would work with the provincial and the federal bodies to ‘sensitize’ them on the importance of compliance, positioning Pakistani exports to be competitive in international markets. The NCC will also play a crucial role in aligning Pakistan’s products with Europe’s quality standards, he said.
