Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) is to make a one-day visit to the Ukrainian capital Kiev next week. Vanhanen will have meetings on Wednesday with the Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov and with President Victor Yuschenko and the Speaker of the Ukraine Parliament, Volodymyr Lytvyn.
Discussions with Vanhanen's opposite number Yekhanurov are expected to involve bilateral relations between the two countries and relations between Ukraine and the European Union. Ukraine, which gained its independence in 1991, is hoping to secure membership in the EU and in the NATO alliance.
During the day, Vanhanen is also scheduled to address a business forum organised jointly by Finpro and the Ukraine Chamber of Commerce. Finpro is an association founded by Finnish companies and geared to supporting internationalisation of Finnish businesses.
Vanhanen will be accompanied to Ukraine by a delegation of Finnish business executives.
