High-level external relations meeting

Government Communications Unit

Press release  308/2006
8.9.2006

Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, and the Commissioner responsible for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, will meet on Saturday 9 September, prior to the ASEM Summit. The meeting is part of the follow-up to the June European Council meeting and its purpose is to achieve closer cooperation between the various actors in the field of external relations.

The agenda for the meeting includes forthcoming summits during Finland’s Presidency, current international issues and concrete ways of making external action more effective. At the last minute, negotiations regarding Iran have prevented EU High Representative Javier Solana from attending this and other events to be held on Saturday in Helsinki in connection with the summit.

Further information: Liisa Talonpoika, Counsellor, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 9 1602 2184 or +358 40 820 1285