Helsinki Centre in St. Petersburg moves to Finland House

Helsinki Centrethat promotes urban relations, communication and business development objectives of Finnish cities in St. Petersburg and in Northeast Russia will move to Finland House in St. Petersburg in 2010. Finland House has been inaugurated by Prime Ministers Vladimir Putin and Matti Vanhanen on Sunday, 25 October 2009. Helsinki Centre started its operations in St. Petersburg in autumn 2008. The service was launched by Helsinki, and the cities of Tampere and Kotka with their regional partners joined in as co-operation partners. The objective of the Centre is to unite forces to strengthen and support the operations of these Finnish cities with the co-operation networks of St. Petersburg and Northeast Russia. Focal co-operation issues are traffic connections and logistics, co-operation in the fields of research and culture, tourism as well as communications and media connections. Helsinki, Tampere and Kotka aim at intensifying co-operation especially with the administration of St. Petersburg.

Mayor Jussi Pajunen of Helsinki and Governor of St. Petersburg, Mrs. Valentina Matvienko signed the seventh co-operation protocol between the cities in connection with the inauguration of Finland House. According to the protocol, the cities will intensify their co-operation with organisations of the Baltic Rim, among others. The co-operation plan for the years 2010-12 includes projects in different sectors, e.g. waterworks in treating sewage and drinking water, collaboration in promoting environmental projects, as well as in tourism marketing.