Finnish Ambassador to Al-Rai: Education is a gateway to a broader partnership with Kuwait
- We look forward to expanding cooperation in technology, innovation, and investment
- Enhancing the participation of Kuwaiti investors in the Finnish startup ecosystem
- The visit of the Finnish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs to Kuwait reflects growing momentum in bilateral relations
- The Finnish delegation includes representatives from telecommunications, defense, digital security, and space
- Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and telecommunications are promising areas for partnership
- Protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring service continuity are two key areas for cooperation
Yuha Mustonen, the non-resident Finnish Ambassador to Kuwait, expressed his conviction that education represents one of the strongest bridges connecting his country with Kuwait. He noted that this field directly intersects with the objectives of “Kuwait Vision 2035,” particularly regarding creativity, lifelong learning, and human capital development.
In an interview with “Al-Rai,” Mustonen pointed out that Finland simultaneously seeks to broaden cooperation with Kuwait in the fields of security, critical infrastructure, telecommunications, and cybersecurity, leveraging Kuwait’s position as an important gateway to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
He viewed Kuwait as a crucial gateway to the GCC, benefiting from its strategic location and regional connectivity. He emphasized that “Kuwait Vision 2035” opens up wide avenues for cooperation with Finland, especially in sectors such as digital transformation, innovation, critical infrastructure, resilience enhancement, investment, and human capital development.
Mustonen stated that Finnish companies and institutions can offer their expertise in several areas that align with Kuwait’s developmental priorities, including advanced technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, telecommunications, protection of critical infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and continuity of essential services.
He clarified that Kuwaiti-Finnish relations, spanning more than five decades, are entering a new phase based on expanding traditional cooperation areas to include technology, innovation, investment, security, and resilience. He noted that the visit of the Finnish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Under-Secretary of State for International Trade Jarno Särkelä, to Kuwait from the 26th to the 28th of this month, reflects the growing momentum and the desire to translate the long-standing friendship between the two countries into practical cooperation and new partnerships.
He highlighted that Kuwait’s strategic location and regional connectivity make it an important partner for Finland in the Gulf region, particularly given the opportunities offered by “Kuwait Vision 2035” in economic diversification, digital transformation, infrastructure development, and resilience enhancement.
Mustonen explained that Finnish investments in Kuwait are currently focused on facilitating telecommunications and identifying areas of common interest, with opportunities available to build upon in innovation, digitalization, resilience, and human capital development.
He added that Finland possesses an advanced ecosystem in technology and innovation that could be of value to Kuwaiti investors, particularly in deep-tech, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and advanced technologies. There is potential to enhance Kuwaiti investors’ participation in Finland’s startup and technology ecosystem, including in the fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digitalization, and advanced technologies.
Mustonen pointed out that areas of cooperation with Kuwait include emergency preparedness, protection of critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and continuity of essential services. He clarified that resilience means the ability to anticipate crises, respond to them, and recover from them.
He added that recent developments in the Middle East underscore the importance of Kuwaiti expertise in navigating a complex and rapidly changing regional environment, which requires adaptability, crisis management, and the continuation of diplomatic efforts and essential services amid uncertainty.
He clarified that the Finnish delegation accompanying the visit of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs includes representatives from the telecommunications, defense, digital security, space systems, and nuclear and radiation safety sectors, signaling the broadening scope of cooperation areas that can be explored with the Kuwaiti side.
He pointed to Finnish institutions and companies operating in these fields, including Nokia, Patria, Temet, and ReOrbit, noting that they play roles in regulation, safety oversight, emergency preparedness, and capacity building.
Mustonen stated that education represents one of the strongest bridges connecting Kuwait and Finland, emphasizing that this sector directly intersects with the objectives of “Kuwait Vision 2035,” particularly regarding creativity, lifelong learning, and human capital development.
He explained that the Finnish educational model places significant emphasis on problem-solving, innovation, and student-centered learning, highlighting potential cooperation in teacher training, professional development, curriculum modernization, digital education, vocational training, and linking educational institutions with industrial sectors.
He added that cooperation could also extend to universities and research centers through academic partnerships, student exchanges, researcher mobility, and joint academic programs, thereby strengthening ties between the two peoples.
In the realm of digital transformation, Mustonen stressed that technology should serve as a means to benefit humanity, noting that artificial intelligence, educational technologies, digital skills, and lifelong learning represent areas where Finnish expertise can complement Kuwait’s digital transformation journey.
He said that Finnish companies possess expertise in digital education, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and workforce reskilling, clarifying that technology alone does not drive educational transformation; its true value lies in empowering teachers, engaging students, and developing future-ready skills.
Ambassador Mustonen noted that diplomatic relations between Kuwait and Finland began in 1969 and have been built over nearly six decades on mutual respect, trust, and friendship.
Mustonen affirmed that the visit of Finnish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Jarno Särilä to Kuwait marks an important milestone in bilateral relations, particularly as it comes at a time when cooperation areas are expanding from trade and education to technology, innovation, investment, security, and resilience.
He said the world faces an environment characterized by uncertainty, making resilience, critical infrastructure, and trust-based partnerships more important than ever, adding that Kuwaiti-Finnish relations possess a strong historical foundation and shared aspirations that can be built upon.
He emphasized that the success of the visit should not be measured solely by the number of agreements signed, but by the follow-up, continuous dialogue, stronger relationships, mutual understanding of priorities, and practical, actionable ideas it generates.
The Ambassador touched upon the Finnish experience in what he described as the “happiness infrastructure,” noting that Finland ranked first for the ninth consecutive year in the 2026 Global Happiness Report.
He explained that happiness in the Finnish model is not merely an outcome, but something that can be built through a system based on trust, education, equality, nature, work-life balance, security, and freedom.
He added that Finnish sauna culture represents a facet of this vision, as it is not merely a means of relaxation, but a space to distance oneself from life’s pressures and reconnect with oneself and others.
In the tourism sector, Ambassador Mustonen invited Kuwaitis to discover Finland, with its distinctive features such as the Northern Lights, thousands of lakes, and the midnight sun, alongside its high levels of safety, cleanliness, sustainability, and service quality.
He also pointed to the growing trend of “cold climate tourism,” or Coolcation, in which travelers seek destinations characterized by milder temperatures, clean air, and tranquil nature, emphasizing that Finland offers visitors the opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and enjoy nature, simplicity, and serenity.
