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Japan-Finland Summit Meeting Tuesday, June 10, 2008 JAPANESE

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Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda held talks with Mr. Matti Vanhanen, Prime Minister of the Republic of Finland, at the Prime Minister's Office. The two leaders exchanged opinions on international aspects of Japan-Finland bilateral relations and the climate change issue, among other topics. At the start of the meeting, Prime Minister Fukuda extended words of welcome, saying, "I heartily welcome Prime Minister Vanhanen's first visit to Japan in three years. As partners with a long history, Japan and Finland enjoy very friendly relations. Next year will mark the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Taking this as an opportunity, I am eager to see the exchanges between our countries advance still further." In response, Prime Minister Vanhanen expressed his appreciation, saying, "I would like to thank Prime Minister Fukuda for inviting me to Japan. This is my second visit to Japan as Prime Minister of Finland. Next year will be a commemorative year for our two countries as we celebrate the 90th anniversary of friendly relations while maintaining strong political relations. A relationship that dates back 90 years is quite a long history. It is my wish that our cooperative relations will continue as we go forward." At the joint press conference that followed, Prime Minister Fukuda said, "Prime Minister Vanhanen and I exchanged a wide range of opinions on international aspects of Japan-Finland bilateral relations. Our meeting was of great significance in that we confirmed our intention to cooperate as we address not only bilateral issues but also issues, including climate change, faced by the international community. We reaffirmed that Japan and Finland maintain very friendly relations as partners sharing fundamental values. We also agreed that the two countries, whose diplomatic relations will mark the 90th anniversary next year, will further deepen their mutual understanding and enhance cooperative relations." Related link: Japan-Finland Relations (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)