INTERVIEW - Sony Ericsson still vital part of Ericsson - Treschow

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Ericsson's chairman said on Friday the Sony Ericsson joint venture remained a vital part of the telecom equipment maker and that he was keen to get it back to the profitability levels last seen in 2007.

"Sony Ericsson is a vital part of Ericsson. We have an ambition of turning it around, we have done it before and we will do it again," Michael Treschow told Reuters in an interview.

"We want Sony Ericsson to return to profitability and make it a successful venture," he said, adding that he wanted to return the joint venture with Japan's Sony Corp to return to the "good profitability" levels it had in 2007.