Luo Gan, a senior official of the Chinese Communist Party, met Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen in Helsinki Wednesday over bilateral relations and international issues of common concern.

Earlier in the day, Luo, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, met Finnish Justice Minister Johannes Koskinen and Interior Minister Kari Rajamaeki.

Luo arrived in Helsinki on Tuesday evening to pay a three-day goodwill visit to the country from Reykjavik after visiting Iceland. Finland is the second leg of his four-nation tour, which will also bring him to Armenia and Moldova.

In a written statement upon his arrival at the airport in Helsinki, Luo said that Sino-Finnish relations developed steadily with exchanges and cooperation expanding in various fields since the two countries established diplomatic relations.

China attaches great importance to developing relations with Finland. The development of friendly, cooperative ties in an all-round manner between China and Finland conforms to the fundamental interests of the people of the two countries, said Luo.

China and Finland established diplomatic relations in 1950. The two countries have maintained a sound relationship, especially in trade and economy in recent years. The trade volume reached US$1.96 billion between January and September 2002.

(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2003)