PM to meet EU leaders in Helsinki

Prime Minister Juha Sipilä will meet prime ministers of EU countries and leaders of the EU on 7–8 November to prepare the ground for Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, said an official press release on Monday.

Sipilä will receive a number of guests at Kesäranta who will arrive in Helsinki to attend a Congress of the European People’s Party (EPP).

The topics of discussion in Prime Minister Sipilä’s meetings will include Finland’s Presidency and topical EU affairs. Finland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union between 1 July 2019 and 31 December 2019.

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister will meet Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, EU's Chief Negotiator on Brexit, Commissioner Michel Barnier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. On Thursday, Prime Minister Sipilä will meet Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.