|
Sarkaritel.com News and
Features
India & Finland Sign Agreement on S&T Cooperation
New Delhi, March 27, 2008
India and Finland have signed an Agreement on Cooperation
in Science & Technology that provides for a broad based
framework of cooperation in the areas of research, development
and innovation policies between the two countries with
renowned cutting-edge technologies. The agreement was signed
by Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Science & Technology and
Earth Sciences and Mauri Pekkarinen, Finnish Minister of
Economic Affairs, in Helsinki on 25 March 2008.
Speaking on the occasion Sibal said that the Way forward for
the bilateral relations is to set up an innovation industrial
R&D fund enabling technology access to market for mutual
benefit of the people of India and Finland. Mauri Pekkarinen
termed the visit of the Indian Minister as a big event in the
bilateral relations between India and Finland.
During his visit Sibal will also be calling on Finnish Prime
Minister Matti Vanhanen and Sari Sarkomaa, Minister of
Education besides visiting a number of leading research
institutions.
Bilateral relations with Finland, an important member of the
European Union with proven technological capabilities in ICT,
Biotechnology, industrial machinery and paper industry, have
assumed a dynamic edge following the exchange of Prime
Ministerial visits in 2006. The India-EU Summit meeting took
place in Helsinki in October 2006 during Finland’s EU
Presidency. Bilateral trade which in 2007 was valued at Euro
645.08 million has grown by over 20%. Two-way investments are
growing with Finnish majors like Nokia, Elcoteq, Kone and
Wartsila now well established in India. Indian investments in
Finland are also making an impact in areas such as ICT and
renewable energy.
Finland has one of the highest investments in R&D as a
percentage of its GDP among the OECD countries and is
continually increasing. It is now renowned for its
environment-friendly, innovative technological capabilities
which would be beneficial for India’s booming economic
development.
E-Mail :
newseditor@sarkaritel.com |
