Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay his first state visit to Finland next week

Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay his first state visit to Finland next week, renewing ties that go back to his days as a city official in nearby St Petersburg. Putin will discuss with Finnish leaders issues ranging from a major gas pipeline to enlargement of the European Union and NATO and the crises in the Balkans and the Middle East. His stay will also give Finland a chance to evaluate reforms in its giant neighbour at a time when Russia is enjoying a second year of firm economic growth that could provide opportunities for trade. Militarily non-aligned Finland is the only European Union country bordering on Russia. It had cautiously close ties with Moscow during the Cold War, but economic issues are now to the fore. "From our point of view it will be interesting to hear how Russia is doing, how the reforms have progressed," Jarmo Viinanen, President Tarja Halonen's foreign policy adviser, said this week. He said Finnish leaders would also be keen to hear Putin's perception of Russia's relations with the United States. Putin will meet Halonen and Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen for talks on Sunday and Monday. The visit will start at the Finnish president's summer residence at Naantali on the west coast and continue in Helsinki.