President Halonen visited Italy

President of the Republic Tarja Halonen and President of Italy Giorgio Napolitano at a joint press conference in Rome. Copyright © Office of the President of the Republic of Finland

Education, technology, research and innovation are areas where Italy wishes to increase cooperation with Finland, said President of Italy Georgio Napolitano at a joint press conference with President of the Republic Tarja Halonen on 7 September 2010. The Presidents held bilateral talks at the Quirinal Palace in Rome on the first day of the state visit by President Halonen and Dr Pentti Arajärvi.

In addition to bilateral affairs President Halonen and President Napolitano discussed current international affairs in which Italy and Finland are actively involved and share similar views. The Presidents talked about the Middle East peace process, the construction of society and the strengthening of the constitutional state in Afghanistan as well as climate change and sustainable development. Climate issues featured strongly with the approach of the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Cancun, Mexico in December and later in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Presidents also discussed cooperation within the EU.

Call for closer cooperation on culture and education

“We were able to continue from where we left off during the previous visit, which is a good sign of a genuine connection,” President Halonen says. She expressed her hope for closer cooperation between Finland and Italy in the fields of culture and education. The favourable relations could also be utilised more to the benefit of both countries in bilateral dealings, President Halonen said. Within the European Union the countries could promote the EU’s ability to speak with one voice: agreeing and deciding on issues together and then realising those decisions together.

President Halonen also recalled the successful Baltic Sea Action Summit organised by Finland in February. EU cooperation focusing on the Mediterranean has a long history. “The successful cooperation of the southern and northern parts of the EU benefits the entire union,” President Halonen said. The European Union is not intended to be a closed fort, but a safe meeting place. President Halonen was pleased to say that the cooperation between the Presidents was a show of positive support for her work as co-chair of the UN High-level Panel on Global Sustainability.

The stoning of Iranian Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtian was also referred to during the press conference, and was condemned by both Presidents. President Napolitano said that the Italian government has pleaded with Iran not to proceed with the execution. President Halonen commended Italy for its exemplary and consistent long-term efforts towards the abolishment of capital punishment.

Working lunch with Prime Minister Berlusconi

On Wednesday, 8 September President Halonen met Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for a working lunch, with topics including Iran, the Middle East, Turkey, Russia, the EU and economic issues. President Halonen said that Finland has received a new Prime Minister, and that Prime Minister Kiviniemi will be attending EU summits. Prime Minister Berlusconi said he is considering a visit to Finland. He deemed it important that Finland’s visibility in Italy be increased, and vice versa.

In the afternoon President Halonen spoke on foreign policy at Italy’s oldest scientific academy, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. “Finland’s foreign and security policy is based on a broad concept of security. We understand peace in a much broader sense than simply the absence of war. Peace should mean democracy, respect for human rights, human security and social justice. In other words, sustainable development,” said the President in her speech.

“The EU Member States are linked by shared values: human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Europe is broader than the European Union, however. It is good to remember that these same values were also the basis for the establishment of the Council of Europe over 60 years ago,” the President said.

Garibaldino Liikanen

As Italy prepares to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the country’s unification next year, Finnish garibaldino Herman Liikanen had the honour of being at the centre of a preview of the festivities.

Liikanen fought as a member of Garibaldi’s troops during the Italian struggle for independence, and President of Italy Giorgio Napolitano and President Tarja Halonen laid a wreath at his statue. President Napolitano attended a reception at the Institutum Romanum Finlandiae at Villa Lante al Gianicolo on Wednesday. The statue of Herman Liikanen is located outside Villa Lante.

On Wednesday President Halonen also met the Vice-President of the Senate Emma Bonino and Mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno. On Thursday, 9 September the state visit continued in Pisa and Lucca.
The state visit to Italy by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen was a return visit; President Napolitano visited Finland in 2008. The previous visits to Italy by Finnish heads of state were the official visit by President Ahtisaari in 1997 and the state visit by President Kekkonen in 1971.

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