The next president of the European Commission, José Manuel Durao Barroso, paid a brief visit to Finland Friday afternoon.
On his agenda were talks with Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen on enlargement and the union's relations with its neighbours, among other things.
During his visit, Barroso said the EU must keep its promise to Turkey and accept the country as a member if it fulfills the European Union's political and economic criteria.
His quick stop in Helsinki is part of Barroso’s tour of all the EU member states. He will officially take office on the first of November.
All the new commissioners, including Barroso, still face official questioning by the European Parliament at the end of October before taking office.
YLE24