Helsinki  - Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has become engaged to Sirkka Mertala, the prime minister's office said Friday.

The couple have been dating for a year.

The statement was issued after tabloid Ilta-Sanomat in its Friday edition reported that the couple on Thursday bought engagement rings.

Vanhanen divorced his first wife in 2005, and has since been dated several women.

One of the women he dated, Susan Ruusunen, later wrote a kiss-and- tell book about the affair. Vanhanen went to court over the publication, and earlier this year an appeals court ruled the book had violated his privacy.

Vanhanen was meanwhile Thursday asked to comment on e-mail messages he sent to a female candidate for his Centre Party running for municipal elections last year.

The woman had told a gossip magazine the content was ambiguous. Vanhanen told reporters the messages were part of a joking, innocent discussion. (dpa)