President Niinistö and Mrs Haukio visited Austria

President Sauli Niinistö and Mrs Jenni Haukio visit Austria on Tuesday 1 January 2019. Invited by Federal President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen and Mrs Doris Schmidauer, the presidential couple attended the traditional Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert at the Musikverein concert hall in Vienna. Photo: Peter Lechner/Office of the Federal President of Austria

President Sauli Niinistö and Mrs Jenni Haukio visit Austria on Tuesday 1 January 2019. Invited by Federal President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen and Mrs Doris Schmidauer, the presidential couple attended the traditional Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert at the Musikverein concert hall in Vienna. Photo: Peter Lechner/Office of the Federal President of Austria

President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö and Mrs Jenni Haukio visited Austria on Tuesday 1 January 2019. Invited by Federal President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen and Mrs Doris Schmidauer, the presidential couple attended the traditional Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert at the Musikverein concert hall in Vienna.

President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö and Mrs Jenni Haukio visited Austria on Tuesday 1 January 2019. Invited by Federal President of the Republic of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen and Mrs Doris Schmidauer, the presidential couple attended the traditional Vienna Philharmonic New Year’s Concert at the Musikverein concert hall in Vienna.

President Niinistö and Federal President Van der Bellen also discussed current bilateral and international matters. In the joint press conference following the discussion, President Niinistö emphasized the need for more united European Union: “European Union needs to be strong enough to sit at the same tables as China, USA and Russia. We cannot leave the world just for three of them. That is why we have to be united.” President Niinistö also thanked President Van der Bellen for his initiative Climate Ambition calling for more ambitious action to halt climate change. President Niinistö is one of the 19 European Heads of State and Government who has singed the initiative.

After the concert, President Niinistö and Mrs Haukio also met with former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and former Federal President of Austria Heinz Fischer.

President Niinistö and Mrs Haukio previously visited Austria in 2016.