Finland Times

EU flag is seen in front of the EU Commission Headquarters on March 14, 2013 in Brussels. Photo AFP-Lehtikuva

The leaders of the European Union member states will hold an informal meeting at Saariselkä  in Lapland to discuss various future plans of EU in a leisurely way.

The three-day meeting begins on March 22, will not make any decision or guideline rather  the leaders will get together to share future planning regarding the Europe and EU, said a government press release.

The Prime Minister, Jyrki Katainen and Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb will host the high-level informal meeting entitled, Lapland Retreat 2013.

The intention  of the meeting is to bring European leaders together to discuss  the issues in an informal and leisurely way and there will be no specific topical agenda for discussion. The Lapland Retreat 2013 will be attended by Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanović, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, and member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank Jörg Asmussen.

Pictorial scenery of Lapland. Photo Lehtikuva

The Greek Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, who was also scheduled to attend the meeting has cancelled the programme following deepening the Cypriot crisis.The leaders of the European Union member states will hold an informal meeting at Saariselkä  in Lapland to discuss various future plans of EU in a leisurely way.

The three-day meeting begins on March 22, will not make any decision or guideline rather  the leaders will get together to share future planning regarding the Europe and EU, said a government press release.

The Prime Minister, Jyrki Katainen and Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb will host the high-level informal meeting entitled, Lapland Retreat 2013.

The intention  of the meeting is to bring European leaders together to discuss  the issues in an informal and leisurely way and there will be no specific topical agenda for discussion. The Lapland Retreat 2013 will be attended by Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanović, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, Irish Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton, Spanish Secretary of State for the European Union Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, and member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank Jörg Asmussen.

The Greek Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, who was also scheduled to attend the meeting has cancelled the programme following deepening the Cypriot crisis.