Finland
is prioritising Education, Health, and Gender as part of its development plan
for Myanmar. Mizzima’s Editor-in-Chief Soe Myint was in Helsinki at the
invitation of Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for World Press Freedom Day
on 3 May. Here he was able to conduct an exclusive interview with Ms. Lenita
Toivakka, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development.
You mentioned about education, health and
gender and women’s empowerment as key priorities for development. When it comes
to Myanmar how about support to the media specifically because we have an
emerging media process in the country. Do you have any programs now?
I think
we don’t have that kind of program now for supporting free media in Myanmar. We
have different kinds of programs and I know that our support is going to
increase and will be higher than it has been recent years so Finnish support to
Myanmar is increasing in different sectors. And the main sectors we are really
going to focus on includes empowering women developing cooperation with a
partner country. Then there is education, quality education, how to manage your
resources better, then there is support for your democratic development.
At the moment it is government to government
cooperation are you also going to work with other stakeholders?
It is
government to government but at the same time it also with international
organisations like the UN but also Finnish NGOs. Our education program is with
a very valuable Finnish organisation. But we are also going to have cooperation
with the UNDP.
Your government is supporting the peace process
in Myanmar what is your view in relation to the ongoing peace process?
We want
to support the good developments [taking place] at the moment. To give support
to the new government and also to help you to respect the rule of law. It is
very import for Finland to respect the rule of law and democracy and I think
these are the issues we want to do with your country. Also to strengthen all
kinds of democratic institutions you have now because we know it not so easy to
just start that kind of work you may also need some support, expertise, and
know-how.
We have a big issue in relation to capacity
building even in the media sector or development sector there it is a major
issue so what could countries like Finland do to offer support in the process?
We are
actually doing this with other good organisations, these organisations have a
great deal of experience in different countries. They have very good tools to
strengthen your education system of course they work together with you, it is
not something we are going to export from Finland because that doesn’t work. We
have to do that with your people and your government together, I think that is
the Finnish way to do this kind of cooperation.
In your view what is the interest of Finnish
companies coming to Myanmar, and what kind of sector would they be looking
into?
There is
interest. I have a plan to come this year with a business delegation. Of
course, first I would like to visit some the development cooperation projects
but then I am going to come to your country with a business delegation and I
think the sectors are clean technology, education sector, also maybe renewable
energies, bio-economics because you have huge resources in your country. I
think those sectors are very interesting when we think about your country.
But also
at the same time, this good cooperation on development is a very good
foundation to start trade cooperation also. I think we have many Finnish
companies who can help build your country.
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