UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Pori and at Kultaranta

Secretary General of the UN Ban Ki-moon and President Tarja Halonen discussed at SuomiAreena. Copyright © Office of the President of the Republic of Finland

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, on a four-day visit to Finland, spent the weekend of 16–17 July privately at Kultaranta. President of the Republic Tarja Halonen and Mr. Ban discussed current international affairs.

They also went boating and saw local sights, such as Seili island and the Archipelago Research Institute of the University of Turku located there. They also heard of the history of the island. A music performance was given at the old church on Seili island for the visitors. President Halonen and Mr. Ban also visited the Old Town of Naantali and attended a concert at Kustavi Church.

Mr. Ban arrived in Finland on Friday 15 June. He and President Halonen talked about sustainable development in a public panel discussion chaired by Jorma Ollila, Chairman of the Board of Nokia and Shell, lasting more than an hour.

The discussion formed part of the programme of the SuomiAreena in Pori, and the Promenadikeskus was filled to capacity. There was also a large group of local citizens outside the Promenadikeskus, gathered to greet Mr. Ban and President Halonen. The panel discussion can be viewed in its entirety online here.

Last August, Mr. Ban appointed a high-level Sustainable Development Panel, inviting President Halonen as co-chair.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Mrs. Ban Soon-taek visited Finland on 15–18 July 2011. Mr. Ban was previously in Finland in his official capacity as General Secretary in May 2009. Before that, he had visited Finland as Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea in 2006. From Finland, he travelled on to Geneva.

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