Thursday, 2oth November 2008 Finland’s Ambassador to Zambia H.E Sinikka Antila presented her credentials to the COMESA Secretary General Mr. Sindiso Ngwenya, as her country’s special representative to COMESA.

Finland becomes the 11th country to appoint a special Representative to COMESA after Britain, China, Cuba, France, Germany, India, Italy, Russia, Sweden and United State of America ( in their alphabetical order). She becomes the 2nd representative from the NORDIC countries. The ceremony took place at COMESA headquarters, Lusaka Zambia. Her appointment was made by the President of the Republic of Finland Mrs Tarja Halonen.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Antila reiterated her country’s support to regional and continental integration agenda. “Finland is committed to support Africa’s regional integration, both as an EU member, Finland supports the European Commission in its negotiations on a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements with East and Southern Africa (ESA) and hopes that it will bring the intended benefit to COMESA’s members” said Ms Antilla.

She singled out Aid for Trade as an area that the Republic of Finland has championed and will continue to support. “Finland was during its EU presidency the latter half of 2006 very active in developing the Union’s Aid for Trade Strategy. We also support the joint EU commitment to increase the Union’s support for Aid for Trade to two billions euros annually by 2010” she pointed out. In addition to Aid for Trade, Finland is also looking for ways that she can contribute to agriculture and environment related programs coordinated or implemented by COMESA. Other areas of support will include climate change and forestry management.

Ambassador Antilla commended COMESA, EAC and SADC on their working towards a sub-continental Free Trade Area and eventual merger.” We are very excited about the recent announcement at the SADC, COMESA and EAC tripartite Summit in Kampala that the organizations will start working towards a common Free Trade Area and an eventual merger. In particular the work being done by the Tripartite Task Force, facilitated by the Regional Facilitation Program, including the North-South Transport Corridor is interesting”

Welcoming the presentation of credentials the COMESA Secretary General Mr Sindiso Ngwenya, pointed out that COMESA Finland Cooperation is not totally new. “I should underscore, that cooperation between the Republic of Finland and the COMESA Region is not totally new. “Finland as a member of the European Union is already cooperating with the COMESA region through the European Commission and with whom we signed a joint Regional Strategy Paper and Regional Indicative Program on 15th November at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France”. “Furthermore, Finland has long standing cooperation agreements with several COMESA Member States, including Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia. Your presence today is a special occasion as it will give an opportunity to both COMESA and the Republic of Finland to widen the scope of collaboration with all COMESA Members States as well as to focus more on areas which are consistent with your foreign policy, and particularly, your Development Policy” noted Mr Ngwenya.

Mr. Ngwenya praised Finland for the leadership she took in promoting the Aid for Trade strategy when she was at the head of the EU, as well as increasing her official development assistance industry and energy, gender, agriculture, environment and natural resources”. We are very pleased to note the place given to development in Finland’s overall foreign policy, especially the scaling up of Finland’s Official Development Assistance” said Secretary General Ngwenya.

Mr. Ngwenya called upon developed countries not to limit carbon credit to reforestation but also rewards communities that don’t cut trees” It makes much sense to rewards communities that don’t cut trees, we cannot wait for people to firs of all cut the trees and then plant them again so as to reward them. Prevention is better than cure” noted Secretary General Ngwenya. He assured the new special representative of full cooperation noting that COMESA has a lot to learn from Finland and the Nordic Countries in general, pointing out that even before the EU integrated the Nordic countries had developed their Free Trade Area and Free movement of people. “ We cannot integrate unless we integrate people” he emphasized.