President Niinistö to make state visit to Estonia

Office of the President of the Republic
Press Release 19/2016
25 April 2016

President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö and his spouse Mrs Jenni Haukio will make a state visit to Estonia from 17 to 18 May 2016.

Reception ceremonies and official discussions with President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, will be held in Tallinn on Tuesday 17 May. In addition, President Niinistö will meet Speaker of the Estonian Parliament Eiki Nestor and Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas.

Tuesday’s programme includes a forum on the future of the economies of Finland and Estonia, to be held in the Innovation and Business Centre of Tallinn University of Technology. In addition, President Niinistö will lay a wreath at the monument to the Estonian War of Independence, as well as at the monument for the Estonian volunteers who fought for Finland in World War Two.

On the second day of the visit, Wednesday 18 May, the presidents and their spouses will visit Viljandi, where a question and answer session with upper secondary school students will be organised. From Viljandi, their journey will continue to President Ilves’ family farm Ärma.

The presidents’ spouses will have their own programme, including cultural attractions and a visit to the Tallinn Finnish School.

President Niinistö made an official visit to Estonia at the beginning of his term of office in the spring of 2012. President Ilves made state visits to Finland in 2007 and 2014. His term of office will end in the autumn. In addition, the presidents have met on numerous occasions during working visits and international events.