With a tight schedule lined up for her, President Arroyo arrived in Helsinki on Saturday in time to meet with the Finnish president – Mrs. Tarja Halonen – in the evening at her official residence. The meeting took place ahead of the so-called ASEM summit, which takes place Sunday through Monday. During the one-on-one meeting at the Finnish president’s residence Saturday, the two leaders marked that the 50 year-old bilateral ties between Finland and the Philippines are deepening.
On Sunday morning, the President will hear mass at St. Henry’s Cathedral with the small Filipino community in Finland (less than 1,000 people). Finally, President Arroyo will attend the ASEM summit at the Helsinki Fair Centre, where 38 member countries from Europe and Asia are to discuss ways on how to address globalization.
President Arroyo is expected to lobby for stronger cooperation among the Asian and European nations in ensuring uninterrupted supply of energy in the face of surging world oil prices.
In between sessions, the President will reportedly hold separate meetings with Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, president and CEO of Nokia, and Ole Johanson, president and CEO of the Finnish energy firm Wartsila, at her official residence, the SAS Radisson Hotel.
