KIEV/HELSINKI, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto agreed on Thursday in Kiev to increase military cooperation and work towards reaching peace in east Ukraine.
During a joint press conference with Niinisto, who is on a two-day visit here, Zelensky said the two sides will also develop dialogue between their defense agencies, according to a statement released on Ukrainian president's official website.
Zelensky thanked Finland for supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
For his part, Niinisto said that Finland supports the territorial inviolability and independence of Ukraine, and praised Zelensky's fruitful work aimed at achieving peace in Ukraine.
Since April 2014, an armed conflict between Ukrainian government troops and pro-independence insurgents has been underway in Donbass in east Ukraine.
Several bilateral documents were signed in the presence of the heads of state to increase the two countries' cooperation in the security and energy sectors.
