Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
Press release 70/2026
10 November 2026
President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb will attend the EU Enlargement Forum: Wider Europe – Stronger Europe in Brussels on Monday 16 November 2026. The event will be hosted by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.
The forum will bring together political leaders, experts and civil society representatives from the EU Member States and countries seeking EU membership to discuss the future of EU enlargement and the European Union. At the forum, President Stubb will deliver a speech on the Europe’s geopolitical influence.
During his stay in Brussels, President Stubb will meet, among others, His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and President of the European Council António Costa.
On Tuesday 17 November, President Stubb will travel from Brussels for a working visit to Berlin where he will meet German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Their discussions will cover, among other issues, Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and the current situation in the Middle East.
President Stubb will also have a meeting with Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz. The main themes of the meeting will be bilateral relations between Finland and Germany, Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine and transatlantic relations. Following their discussions, President Stubb and Federal Chancellor Merz will hold a joint media meeting.
The programme in Berlin will also include an award ceremony at the Walther Rathenau Institute, where President Stubb will be presented with the Walther-Rathenau Award in recognition of an outstanding lifetime achievement in foreign policy. Previous winners include philanthropist and entrepreneur Bill Gates and Kaja Kallas, former Prime Minister of Estonia.
