Prime Minister Vanhanen meets Governor Schwarzenegger in California

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Finland’s Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) met with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Sacramento on Wednesday, inviting him to visit Finland.
      The Prime Minister and the Governor had a brief discussion on environmental issues, particularly the management of traffic emissions, engine technologies, and new fuels.
      Schwarzenegger also offered to contribute to the preparations for the United Nations climate summit set to be held in the Danish capital in 2009. The Copenhagen meeting is to be a continuation of the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Bali in December 2007.
     
According to Vanhanen, California has been a worldwide forerunner in issues relating to climate, having been able to make concrete decisions, while their views have also been listened to.
      Schwarzenegger expressed interest particularly in Finland’s car tax reform which is to favour low-emission models. The Governor said that he is interested in following the impact of the reform on the consumers’ behaviour.
      Vanhanen promised to keep him informed of the potential effects of the emission-based car tax in Finland.
      "He [Schwarzenegger] praised Finland’s ability to make its own solutions and decisions", Vanhanen noted.
     
The meeting with the Governor of California had not been included in the official programme, as the Governor was supposed to have other commitments during PM Vanhanen’s visit. However, the Governor’s office unexpectedly contacted Vanhanen at the end of his trip to Washington, asking whether or not he was still interested in meeting Schwarzenegger during his stay in California.
     
In the course of his visit, Vanhanen also had an opportunity to hold the sword of Conan the Barbarian. The sword is part of the furnishings in the Governor’s office. Conan the Barbarian was one the many film roles of Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former bodybuilder and movie star.
      Vanhanen reported that he knows the films of Schwarzenegger quite well, particularly those from his early acting career.
      Governor Schwarzenegger said that his visit to Finland will probably take place in 2009 or 2010.
      Schwarzenegger, a Republican, was first elected in October 2003 in a special recall election to replace Governor Gray Davis, and he then won re-election in November 2006.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Vanhanen meets with Dick Cheney in Washington (16.1.2008)
  Vanhanen praises US cooperation on climate issue (15.1.2008)

Links:
  Office of the Governor of California

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