LAHTI, Finland, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Finland's prime minister said the European Union needs to balance the flexibility and security of its labor market to benefit from globalization.
Matti Vanhanen spoke Friday at the opening of an unofficial EU summit in Finland's skiing resort of Lahti. The country is president of the EU's current term.
Saying the proper functioning of EU's 200 million workers is crucial to the continent's future, Vanhanen said, "Economic efficiency and social justice are not in conflict. We need not to choose between competitiveness and good working life or social protection," China's Xinhua news agency reported.
The EU leaders also planned to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit to discuss issues ranging from democracy and human rights to energy cooperation with Russia, reports the Helsinki Sonomat.
The report said Vanhanen planned to convey to Putin the EU's stand on the recent killing of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and on the situation in Georgia. The journalist had been writing critical articles on the Russian treatment of Chechnya rebels.
On energy cooperation, Vanhanen said he hopes to bring the EU members together for a united approach with Russia.
