BOC receives Finnish business delegation

Manama, May 7 (BNA): A business and investment delegation from the Republic of Finland on Wednesday had a key meeting with the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) in an attempt to establish first-of-its-kind sports hospital in the Kingdom. Officials from the Finnish delegation and the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) officials, led by general secretary Abdulrahman Askar, had promising talks about establishing cooperation between the two sides. The meeting was part of a three-day visit conducted by the visiting delegation to the Kingdom of Bahrain to meet with Bahraini businessmen. The 21-member delegation is being headed by Minister of Economic Affairs of the Republic of Finland, Jan Vapaavuori, and comprises representatives of the ministry and the private sector in Finland. They come from companies from across the economic, health, medical equipment, rehabilitation, sports medical hospitals, school and hospital furnishing and architectural engineering sectors. High-ranking Finnish officials include Hospital NEO Chairman of the board Dr Jussi Rantanen, FinlandCare Program Director Meria Heikela as well as Bilal Qudisat, Vice-President of HUR OY, manufacturer and sales of rehab and training equipment, in the presence of Ambassador of Finland to Bahrain IIka-Pekka Simila. Askar stressed the committee’s keenness to build bridges of cooperation with different government and private sectors parties in an attempt to develop sports movement in the kingdom. On his part, Vapaavuori said he is pleasure to make this visit to Bahrain with a dynamic Finnish business delegation, which aims to deepen existing cooperation between both countries in health sector and to offer high level Finnish knowhow and solutions to the upcoming sports medicine hospital. "Bahrain is one of the fastest growing economies in the Gulf region and I am confident that this visit offers expanding opportunities for win-win cooperation between our countries. By combining our strengths, we can achieve synergy gains," said Vapaavuori. Askar took the kingdom’s guest on a tour to the premises of the Sport Medicine Centre, which is under the Bahrain Olympic Committee, and briefed them on the available medical equipment being used for sports injuries’ treatments. Vapaavuori and the accompanying delegation also had similar meetings with high-ranking officials from the Industry and Minister of Finance, the Health Ministry, the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce as well as well as other parties with relevant specialties.