Two pandas China loaned to Finland five years ago could heavily impact trade relations between both countries if Helsinki does not find money to keep them, as the pandemic has dashed all hopes of the expensive animals becoming lucrative tourist attractions.
Following an agreement with China signed during a state visit from President Xi Jinping in 2017, two pandas were loaned to Finland’s Ähtäri Zoo the year after.
Though it was hoped that the two pandas, Lumi and Pyry, would become a major tourist attraction for the zoo, the pandemic and their expenses have resulted in the zoo piling up debt. The pandas cost around €1.5 million a year to keep, with an estimated but not disclosed sum of about €1 million going to China as part of a ‘breeding loan’.
With another 10 years before the lease ends, Finnish authorities were forced to intervene, with the matter even reaching the highest ranks, with Agriculture Minister Antti Kurvinen withdrawing the planned €5 million budget funding on Wednesday evening.
“A working group will look into the future of the leased pandas as the matter has to be resolved soon in one way or another,” Kurvinen tweeted.
The matter has also been passed onto a working group that includes officials from the agriculture and finance ministries.
For now, it remains unclear who will foot the bill to keep paying China, though while authorities are looking into setting up a foundation to find the necessary funding, they are wary of the “consequences” on trade were it to send the animals back.
The loan of the panda’s came on Finland’s 1000th anniversary and were dubbed ‘panda diplomacy’ and a sign of goodwill and solidarity between the two countries.
“As far as the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry is concerned, this is the high point of international co-operation for the centenary,” said then agricultural minister Kimmo Tiilikainen.
(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
