The Vice-Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Ms. Rosa Sánchez-Yebra, has concluded a two-day visit to Finland.
On the first day of her visit, the Vice-Governor met with Ms. Tuula Saxholm, Chief Financial Officer of the City of Helsinki, Ms. Ritva Viljanen, Mayor of Vantaa, and Mr. Pekka Morén, International Financial Affairs Director in the Ministry of Finance. The discussions with the City of Helsinki focused on future cooperation opportunities, capitalising on support previously provided by the CEB for investments in schools and affordable housing solutions for disadvantaged people.
The meeting with the City of Vantaa focused on the signing of a €60 million framework loan agreement associated with a project approved in June 2018. The new loan will fund investments in health and social services for the elderly, educational and vocational training facilities, and improving living conditions in urban and rural areas. The new agreement builds on previous and ongoing lending arrangements with Vantaa, which have already helped leverage more than €220 million investments in health, education, and other municipal facilities throughout the city.
During the meeting with the Ministry of Finance, cooperation with international financial institutions and the role of the CEB in financing social infrastructure projects were discussed.
On the second day of her visit, the Vice-Governor met with Ms. Annu Lehtinen, Executive Director, and Ms. Marjatta Rasi, Chairwoman of the Board of the Finnish Refugee Council, to sign a €260,000 grant agreement under the CEB Migrant and Refugee Fund. The grant will be important in supporting refugees and migrants living in rental apartment buildings and will help to provide a better understanding of living in multicultural neighborhoods. The grant will also be instrumental in providing in-depth counseling services for migrant, stay-at-home mothers and single parents, with a view to facilitating their integration into the Finnish labor market.
Original source: CEB
Published on 12 November 2018
