Press Release: Informal meeting of Heads of State or Government, Lahti, 20 October 2006

An informal meeting of EU Heads of State or Government took place on Friday 20 October 2006 in Lahti. The meeting started with a working lunch followed by a working session, both of which focused on the Union’s innovation policy and external energy relations. The Heads of State or Government also touched briefly on the Union’s immigration policy. The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister of Finland, Matti Vanhanen.
After their informal meeting, the EU Heads of State or Government were joined for dinner by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Discussion during the dinner concentrated on the development of the strategic partnership between the EU and Russia, including cooperation in energy issues.
Note, that this meeting was not designated as a formal European Council summit.