Kazakhstan, Astana, Dec.12 / Trend D. Mukhtarov /
President of Finland Sauli Niinisto will visit Astana next year, the country's Ambassador to Kazakhstan Mikko Kinnunen told Trend on Wednesday.
"The new Finnish President Sauli Niinisto's visit is expected in the first half of next year. It is supposed that the leaders will discuss prospects of further expansion of bilateral cooperation," Kinnunen said.
He said the meeting of the two countries' presidents was first held in 1992. They have established trade and economic ties. Some 40-50 Finnish companies operate in Kazakhstan and Finnish technology is successfully used in the country's mining industry.
In 2008, the trade turnover between the countries amounted to one billion euros, Kinnunen said.
"This was a record figure for all the years of the establishment of diplomatic relations, but during the global financial crisis, this figure sharply decreased. A gradual rise continues at present. This year we expect an increase of half a billion euros," Kinnunen said.