Office of the President of the Republic
Press Release 65/2015
2 December 2015
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his spouse, Mrs Ban Soon-taek, will visit Finland from 8 to 9 December 2015 by invitation of the President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö.
President Niinistö and his spouse Jenni Haukio will welcome the guests on Wednesday morning 9 December in Mäntyniemi, where they will offer breakfast to Secretary-General and Mrs Ban.
After this, Secretary-General Ban, President Niinistö and their spouses will attend the 60th anniversary celebration of Finland’s UN membership at the Finlandia Hall.
Official talks, a press conference and lunch will be held at the Presidential Palace. Discussion topics will include the crises in the Middle East and Africa, particularly the civil war in Syria, the Ukrainian crisis, international migration and the refugee crisis, COP21 Climate Conference, sustainable development and the UN Agenda 2030.
During his visit to Finland, Secretary-General Ban will also meet Maria Lohela, the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, as well as members of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, the Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini, and Prime Minister Juha Sipilä. In addition, Secretary-General will visit a reception centre for asylum seekers together with Petteri Orpo, the Minister of the Interior.