On February 19, 2026, the first info session dedicated to the upcoming REBIRTH OF UKRAINE Trade Mission to Finland and the Baltic Countries (Estonia and Latvia), scheduled for May 6-13, 2026, took place. One of its key focus areas is export and import. The event became an important initial stage in preparing for the upcoming strategic visit and brought together representatives of municipalities from across Ukraine, entrepreneurs, representatives of international financial institutions, associations and development agencies.

At the beginning of the info session, Yuliya Chufistova, Member of the Presidium of the Mayors’ Club and Director of the Ukrainian Municipal Economic Development Agency (UMEDA), outlined the key objective of the trade mission. She emphasized a comprehensive approach to building international cooperation, combining economic diplomacy, the development of municipal partnerships, direct B2B interaction, and the attraction of financial instruments to support investment and trade. She stressed that support for Ukraine from foreign partners is not limited to donor assistance, but also includes opening new markets for Ukrainian producers, launching joint initiatives, and integrating Ukrainian companies into European value chains.

The floor was then given to a representative of one of the trade mission organizers – Business Finland, the Finnish government agency with an annual funding budget of approximately €800 million. The agency helps increase the financial capacity of companies planning to expand their presence or localize operations in the Finnish market. Its key focus areas include infrastructure, energy, mechanical engineering, civil protection and defense-related R&D.

The presentation by Olena Kaijen, Director of ALLE FOOD UA, focused on the challenges of entering the Finnish and Baltic food markets, key import needs, and the specifics of supply chains.

Minna Tihinen, Project Coordinator for Ukraine at Business Tampere, presented the opportunities of the Tampere region as one of Finland’s leading industrial centers. The region is home to more than 43,000 companies, and Business Tampere supports them in attracting financing and partners for entering the Finnish market.

Tetiana Filipovych, Regional Coordinator (Ukraine) at Finnpartnership, spoke about the program funded by the Government of Finland aimed at fostering partnerships between Finnish and Ukrainian companies. Importantly, funding is provided to Finnish companies, while Ukrainian businesses can act as strategic partners.

Viacheslav Redko, Representative of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Latvia, and Halyna Kravchenko, Deputy Director of the Trading House “Ukraine” in Riga, paid significant attention to Latvia’s role as a promising logistics hub of the European Union. They also shared practical cases of Ukrainian manufacturers entering the Baltic markets.

The info session demonstrated that despite wartime challenges, interest in Ukraine as an economic partner from Northern Europe remains high. For municipalities, the upcoming trade mission will provide opportunities to attract investment and financial support; for businesses, it will shorten the path to European buyers; and for international partners, it will open new avenues for cooperation.

The full recording of the info session is available at the following link.