President of Estonia to make state visit to Finland

Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
Press release 9/2017
27 February 2017

President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid will make a state visit to Finland together with her spouse, Georgi-Rene Maksimovski, on 7–8 March 2017. President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö and Mrs Jenni Haukio will welcome the Estonian presidential couple at a reception ceremony held in the forecourt of the Presidential Palace at 10 am on Tuesday 7 March.

The presidents will discuss relations between Estonia and Finland, focusing on areas such as cooperation on economic issues and in the ICT and educational sectors. Other topics of discussion will be the security situation in Europe and the Baltic Sea region, topical EU issues and relations with Russia and the United States.

On Tuesday 7 March, President Kaljulaid will meet with Maria Lohela, the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, and Prime Minister Juha Sipilä. She will also participate in a seminar and panel discussion to be held in Team Finland House, on business cooperation between Finland and Estonia.

President Kaljulaid’s programme also includes an introduction to the Finnish education system. On Wednesday 8 March, President Kaljulaid and her spouse will visit the Latokartano primary school in Helsinki. On the same day, the Estonian presidential couple will travel to Tampere, where President Kaljulaid will visit Tampere University of Technology and the Museum Centre Vapriikki.

Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps and Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Urve Palo will accompany President Kaljulaid on her visit to Finland. She will also be accompanied by a business delegation of around 50 members.

President Kaljulaid’s first visit to Finland was made in October 2016. The working visit was her first trip abroad as President. President Niinistö last made a state visit to Estonia in May 2016.