OREANDA-NEWS. Belarus’ Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich has addressed Finnish businessmen with an invitation to join the country’s privatization programme and invest in Belarusian enterprises.

The premier voiced the invitation on June 27, while meeting with Finland’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Lithuania (with concurrent accreditation to Belarus) Harri Maki-Reinikka, reports the press service of the Belarusian government.

During the meeting the parties focused on investment cooperation. Belarus and Finland have been implementing a series of investment projects. In 2012 Finland invested in Belarusian projects USD 34.3 million, including net FDI to the tune of USD 20.3 million. There are 25 Belarus-based enterprises with Finnish capital.

The Belarusian government is interested in further cooperation with Finnish investors and is ready to create a comfortable environment for them to work in Belarus. The fact that Belarus is a member of the Customs Union and the Single Economic Space should be considered by Finland as an extra advantage, the Belarusian government said in a release.

The fourth Belarusian-Finnish economic forum due in Finland in 2014 (at the Pan-European University of Turku) is supposed to contribute to promoting business contacts between the two countries.

Belarusian-Finnish bilateral trade expanded 48.6% on the year in 2012 to USD 297.3 million.