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Finland eyeing Putin-Trump summit in Helsinki in 2017

The Finnish government plans to invite Putin and Trump to take part in a summit conference of the Arctic Council where Finland will hold a term of rotating presidency from 2017 to 2019

MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. The Finnish government hopes Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President-Elect Donald Trump will hold meeting in Finland in 2017, YLE broadcasting company said on Wednesday quoting Ambassador Aleksi Harkonen, the Senior Arctic Official at the country’s Foreign Ministry.

The Finnish government plans to invite Putin and Trump, who will have been inaugurated by that time, to take part in a summit conference of the Arctic Council where Finland will hold a term of rotating presidency from 2017 to 2019.

YLE quoted Ambassador Harkonen as saying it was not ruled out that the summit would place in Finland in the jubilee year of the country’s independence.

He indicated that President Sauli Niinisto spoke in favor of this option.

Finland marks the centenary anniversary of independence from the Russian Empire in 2017.

The Arctic Council embraces the countries of Northern Europe, Russia, the U.S., and Canada.