Her Excellency Saana Halinen, Finnish Ambassador to Zambia, visited EPSE in August. Ambassador Halinen has been in Zambia for three years, and in September she began her fourth and final year at the embassy in Lusaka. The embassy’s mission is to promote Finland’s diplomatic and economic relations with Zambia and the countries to which it is accredited—Zimbabwe, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition, the embassy supports business, education, and institutional cooperation between Finland and Zambia, develops the capacity of the SME sector through development cooperation structures, provides consular services, and monitors Finnish interests in the region.
The role of the embassy
We asked Ambassador Halinen how she sees the importance of cooperation between the embassy and Finnish companies when small and medium-sized enterprises are entering new markets, such as Zambia. According to her, the role of the embassy is particularly important in lesser-known markets such as Zambia – the embassy’s task is to raise awareness of the market, encourage companies to take steps, and, of course, support and help companies find contacts and partners. Help can also be provided by opening doors to the authorities: the ambassador can arrange meetings with political decision-makers and other influential figures, and with Ambassador Halinen’s help, representatives of EPSE, for example, have been able to meet with many ministers and even the president in Zambia. The embassy also has good networks, and the staff are familiar with the local business community, and contacts can be arranged in many sectors, in EPSE’s case particularly with local mines.
With Ambassador Halinen’s help, representatives of EPSE have been able to meet with many ministers and even the president of Zambia.
Concrete assistance
EPSE has received a lot of concrete help from Ambassador Halinen and her team: the embassy staff have established contacts and opportunities in the new market and, for example, have taken important parties to trade fairs to see the EPSE Demo and engage in discussions. Close cooperation has also taken place in the aftermath of the Sino Metals tailings dam accident, for example, although the handling of the case has raised concerns about transparency and the independence of local decision-making.
Diplomatic career
Ambassador Halinen has been with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs since 2002. She applied for the position of Ambassador to Zambia because it seemed like a suitable step at this stage of her career, and she has enjoyed her time in the country. According to Ambassador Halinen, some describe Zambia as “Africa for beginners” – but she is no beginner, as she served as Head of Cooperation and Deputy Head of Mission in Mozambique from 2012 to 2015 and as Deputy Head of Mission in Tanzania in the early 2000s. “The best thing about my job is that no two days are the same – even at the risk of sounding cliché. The work is extremely concrete, and every day brings new lessons. For example, I knew next to nothing about the mining industry when I started, but now I know quite a lot about it.” Ambassador Halinen continues: “of course, being able to help small companies like EPSE is wonderful and valuable, and one of the best aspects of my job.”
Team Finland
Team Finland is a network of public actors that supports the internationalization of companies by providing advice, financing, and other services. The network includes ministries, Business Finland, Finnvera, Tesi, ELY centers, VTT, Finnfund, and several other organizations. Team Finland is represented globally by more than 80 local teams that bring together Finnish authorities and key players in each region. In Finland, the network’s activities are complemented by 18 regional teams that support companies in the provinces.
This article was written by
Anni Honkonen
EHSQ Manager
anni.honkonen(a)epse.fi
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