European Commission President to meet with Prime Minister Orpo in Helsinki

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will meet in Helsinki on Friday 29 August. During her visit, President von der Leyen will also meet with President of the Republic Alexander Stubb.

Prime Minister Orpo and Commission President von der Leyen will discuss a variety of topics in their meeting, including the security situation in Europe and efforts to strengthen collective defence, support for Ukraine, countering hybrid influence activities and safeguarding critical infrastructure. 

“This visit shows that the Commission takes the threat from Russia seriously and really wants to learn from countries that share a border with Russia. Our message to President von der Leyen is clear – we are defending the EU’s external border, which is also an external border of NATO. We are also doing our part to ensure security in the Baltic Sea. Our location means we have a particular responsibility on our shoulders. Europe is being defended on its eastern flank,” said Prime Minister Orpo ahead of the visit.

During the visit, the President of the European Commission will learn about border control in Finland’s maritime areas. In April 2024, President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Orpo visited Lappeenranta and Finland's eastern border.

Inquiries: Tuomas Tikkanen, Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister in European Affairs, tel. +358 40 523 5768 and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office