OREANDA-NEWS. On 03 June 2009 was announced, that Ministry of Economic Development of the Karelia had held the annual session of Executive committee of Euroregion Karelia at participation of representatives the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy of Finland, heads of regional councils of Northern Carelia, Northern Ostrobothnia, Kainuu , heads of Karelian ministries.

Opening the session, Minister of Economic Development of Karelia Mikhail Yurinov has noted, that "in progressive development of bilateral contacts we set a high value on activity of Euroregion Karelia which primary goal at the present stage is support and promotion of priority projects." The Minister also has emphasized, that "the most important and priority directions of work for us now are development of economic cooperation, as well as energy, environment preservation, preservation of culture and cultural heritage, education, arrangement and development of border, customs and transport infrastructure, development of cooperation between the youth organizations."

One of the focal points was cooperation in the sphere of small business. This subject is recognized a priority. The parties have agreed to work out the joint Karelian-Finnish project on development of cross-border contacts in the sphere of small business. In particular, matters concern establishment of partner relations between Business-incubators of Petrozavodsk, Joensuu and Kajaani. Attention within the scope of the project will be paid to expansion of spheres of economic cooperation between frontier regions of Karelia and Finland within the framework of Euroregion Karelia. It is supposed, that the future project will be financed within the scope of adjacent cooperation between Russia and Finland.

The parties have discussed issues of using means of the European Union and the budget of Finland for implementation of mutually advantageous projects in territory of our republic. According to the representative the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, this year financing of joint projects has made ?1,5 million a year. At the session there has been stated mutual interest in financing the projects from the funds of NEFCO (North-European Financial Corporation), the European Reconstruction and Development Bank and Northern Investment Bank.