I. General Remarks Political Relations

The two countries cooperate in the context of the E.U. and also of several other international bodies such as the U.N., O.S.C.E., and the Council of Europe. The most recent visits by members of the Greek Government to Helsinki were made during the Hellenic Presidency of the E.U. (1st half of 2003), whilst in November 2004, the deputy Minister for Tourism A. Liaskos went to Helsinki in support of Thessaloniki's bid to host EXPO 2008. On the Finnish side, President Tarja Halonen and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen visited Athens on the occasion of the Olympic Games, and had talks with their Greek counterparts. The Finnish parliament (Eduskunta), has established a Finnish-Greek Friendship Group composed of distinguished parliamentarians, several of whom have served in ministerial posts.

II. Cultural Relations

Cultural relations between the two countries are excellent. There is a small Greek community living in Finland (about 400), most of them in the south, or around Helsinki. A segment of this diaspora has set up the sole organized Greek community which recently underwent a somewhat turbulent period on account of certain internal problems. The Finns, however, are known for their philhellene sentiments, which are further boosted by their summer holidays in Greek resorts, to which they flock in their tens of thousands. Official statistics have repeatedly shown Greece to be the most popular destination for Finnish summer holiday-makers (about 143,000 Finnish tourists according to 2004 figures). There are over 30 Finnish Greek Friendship associations in the land, composed almost entirely of philhellene Finns, who often visit our country and promote our culture and our traditions in their distant northern home, organizing music and dance festivals etc.. During the 2004 Olympic Torch relay, the Olympic flame reached Helsinki on 2.7.04. In collaboration with the Helsinki City Council and the Finnish Olympic Committee, the Greek Embassy and the Federation of Finnish Greek Friendship associations put together a series of parallel events with a focus on Greece during the Olympic Flames passage through Helsinki, such as a concert performance of the Olympic Anthem, and traditional Greek folk dances. Also, an increasing number of undergraduate and graduate students from Greece and Finland countries are visiting each others countries under various exchange programmes for students, researchers, academics, et al. 

III. Economic and Trade Relations

Trade

The balance of trade, albeit negative for Greece over a number of years, improved in 2003 and 2004, thanks to increased Greek exports. In 2003 Greece exported goods worth 103.8m euros to Finland, and imported Finnish goods worth 395.8m euros.

 According to statistics available for the first 11 months of 2004, the rise in our export activity is continuing. Greek exports amounted to 105.7m euros, whilst Finnish exports dropped to 279.1m euros.

Details of the balance of trade for the three years 2001-2003, and the first 11 months of 2004 are as follows:

The main Greek products exported to Finland are: Steel and iron products (some 60% of total exports), textiles and clothing, fresh fruits and vegetables, non-ferrous metals, chemicals and fertilizers, etc.

Main Finnish imports to Greece: Telecommunications equipment (over a third of total exports), paper and timber products, paper pulp, etc.) 

Investments

There is significant Greek investment in maritime transport through the Greek shipping company Attiki Enterprises S.A., which since May 2001 has been plying the Hanko (Finland) - Rostock (Germany) route on a daily basis, with two vessels (Superfast VII  and Superfast VIII) transporting passengers, passenger vehicles, and trucks. According to 2003 data, the companys net profits from the two vessels amounted to 5.8m euros.