3.6.2011

Turku Days in St Petersburg:

The continuation of the Turku process

Above: Director-General of the Senate Chancellery of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg Stefan Herms, Mayor of Turku Aleksi Randell, Member of Government and Chairman of Committee for External Affairs of City of St. Petersburg Alexander Prohorenko, Consul General of Finland in St. Petersburg Olli Perheentupa and Director General for Regional Policy of European Comission Dirk Ahner.

Above: Members of the Turku City Council Piia Elo and Toni Eklund.

Yllä: Founder of Baltic Sea Action Group, Chair Advisory Group of St. Petersburg Government and Chairman of Cargotec Ltd. Ilkka Herlin, Deputy Executive Secretary of HELCOM Monika Stankiewicz and Chairman of the Board of Container Finance Ltd. Kimmo Nordström

Yllä: Turku - St. Petersburg - Cologne exhibition was opened at Frunze library during Turku Days. The exhibition presents the daily life of youth in European cities through self-portraits. Chair of the City Council, Seppo Lehtinen opened the exhibition.

The development process launched by the City of Turku for cities and areas in the Baltic Sea region, coined ‘the Turku Process’, will be continued at Turku Days in St Petersburg from 26 to 28 May. During the Twin Town Days, a high-profile open seminar will be held, the programme of which has been planned through co-operation between Turku, Hamburg and St Petersburg as well as the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional Policy. 

The seminar is part of the reinforcement of European Union’s Baltic Sea strategy, which Turku actively wants to promote. The successful implementation of the strategy also requires that Russia and, in particular, the St Petersburg region take account of it and commit to it. In this, the City of Turku is acting as a bridge builder between the EU and St Petersburg, says Mayor of Turku, Aleksi Randell.

- The EU’s Baltic Sea strategy contains several issues relating to such matters as environmental protection, logistics, training and competitiveness, which Russia must be involved in. The cities of Turku and St Petersburg have old and strong twin town relations, as a result of which we can promote dialogue between the EU and Russia.

- Our active input at the same time creates for Turku and Southwest Finnish companies and organisations opportunities to play a more extensive role than ever in this international activity. As far as the development of the Turku economic area is concerned, the Baltic Sea region is a key factor. It is in our own interests actively to create connections throughout the region.

Speakers at the seminar will include not only representatives of the cities but also Director-General of the European Commission Directorate-General for Regional Policy, Dirk Ahner, and Ilkka Herlin, Chairman of the Board of Cargotec Oy, one of the founder members of the Baltic Sea Action Group. 

Turku strengthening its presence in St Petersburg

Turku is also strengthening its presence in St Petersburg in other respects. At present it is renewing its operating practices related to the support of inter-company co-operation. The aim is to increase co-operation between Turku and St Petersburg, especially as far as small-to-medium-sized companies are concerned.

It is also opening its own office in St Petersburg together with the Regional Council of Southwest Finland and other partners. The office will help companies and organisations from Turku and Southwest Finland with a range of questions concerning the operating environment in St Petersburg and elsewhere in Russia. It was planned that the office would open during Turku Days, but this has had to be postponed owing to problems with registration and recruitment.

Diverse cultural programme for Turku Days

During Turku Days, Turku will be represented in St Petersburg by the highest level of officials and representatives. The delegation will be led by Chair of the City Council, Seppo Lehtinen. Accompanying him will also be Chair of the City Board, Minna Arve, Mayor Aleksi Randell and other officials and representatives.

As ever, Turku Days will present a full cultural programme. This will include two performances by Dance Theatre ERI, the attendance of authors Seita Parkkola and Eppu Nuotio at a literature seminar and a seminar on the architecture of the cities. There will also be a seminar focusing on female entrepreneurship.

The twin town agreement between Turku and St Petersburg was concluded in 1953. Turku was St Petersburg’s first twin town. Every second year, Turku Days is held in St Petersburg and St Petersburg Days in Turku in connection with the twin town agreement. 

Turku Days in St. Petersburg - russian press release

• Turku Days in St. Petersburg - press release (russian, pdf)