You are the Honorary Consul of Finland in Ostrava. What

does this position involve?

My role of honorary consul naturally draws upon my position

as a representative of the greatest Finnish employer in the

Czech Republic, and connects all our activities on all levels,

including the diplomatic. I can sum it up by saying that I do my

best to improve Czech-Finnish relations and support our

collaboration in various spheres. We participate in all significant

events, such as the Ice Hockey World Championship, or the

100th anniversary of the Independence of Finland. I also find

mutual inspiration is very important, e. g. Czech institutions

are very inquisitive about the Finnish system of education

whose features I personally see as crucial in the development

of education. That is why our company puts great effort

in implementing some of these elements in the Czech

environment and helping local schools develop talent, mostly

through interactive workshops on work prospects and critical

thinking. My duties also include the assistance to Finns in the

Czech Republic who have gotten in trouble, and Czechs who

need advice before they travel to the north.

How do your business partners feel in our region? What places

and culinary attractions would you recommend to visitors?

Our partners are always surprised when coming to Ostrava

and visiting the area, and they do enjoy coming back

here. Our typical visitors are clients who are interested

in Ostrava and its business opportunities. I am happy that

our city has the reputation of being an innovative hub and

a home to intelligence and permanent scientific research

happening thanks to local branches of IT companies, thanks

to universities, start-ups and the National Supercomputing

Centre. In their free time our visitors appreciate the quick

access to nature. Only a twenty-minute drive from the office

to our beautiful mountains is a great attraction. I personally

recommend the culture of Ostrava, like concerts and festivals

in Dolní Vítkovice, and concerts of the Janáček Pilharmonic

Ostrava, which represent the global quality of events. It

always leaves them with a unique impression.

Thank you for the interview.

- editorial POSITIV 3/2019 ǀ 25