By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak and Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen agreed to expand cooperation in machinery, shipbuilding, information technology (IT) and exchanges of manpower between the two countries, Lee's aides said Thursday.
In a summit at Cheong Wa Dae, the two leaders also agreed to push for early conclusion of the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Korea and the 27-member European Union, the aides said.
A presidential aide said Lee expressed deep interest in Finland's high global rankings in national competitiveness and various transparency indices.
The two leaders agreed to closely cooperate on international issues, including global warming, he said.
The Finnish prime minister arrived in Seoul Thursday for a three-day visit designed to celebrate the opening of regular commercial flights between the two countries.
Finnair, Finland's flagship carrier, has started offering five weekly flights between Incheon International Airport and Helsinki, becoming the fourth European carrier to directly fly to Korea after Air France, Lufthansa and KLM.
Vanhanen, accompanied by a Finnish business delegation, also met with Korean business leaders to discuss matters of mutual interest and attended the South Korean-Finnish Economic Forum.
He is scheduled to leave for Japan Saturday where he will meet with Emperor Akihito and former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.