President Halonen in Vilnius: Globalization increases contacts between the peoples of the Baltic Sea countries

On Monday, 6 July President of the Republic Tarja Halonen and Dr Pentti Arajärvi attended Lithuania's Millennium celebration, which is being arranged because the name Lithuania was first mentioned in historical annals in 1009. President Halonen and Dr Arajärvi participated in a number of events in Vilnius. The day culminated with the Millennium Song Festival and a reception hosted by President Valdas Adamkus. "The peoples of the Baltic Sea countries have always been in close contact with each other. The globalization of today means that we all will have more to do with each other than ever before," President Halonen said in her speech at the Millennium celebration.

King Harald of Norway, President Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania and President Halonen opened the new facilities of the Finnish and Norwegian embassies. Photo: Finnish Embassy in Vilnius

President Halonen met with President-elect Dalia Grybauskaite, who will be inaugurated on 12 July. The programme also includes a meeting with President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, King Harald V of Norway, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson of Iceland, President Valdis Zatlers of Latvia, President Lech Kaczynski of Poland and President Victor Yushchenko of Ukraine and Prime Minister Andrus Ansip of Estonia were also on hand for the Millennium celebration.

Events connected to Lithuania's Millennium have been arranged in Vilnius and in the country's second-largest city, Kaunas, since the beginning of July. The Millennium celebration is the main event during Vilnius's European Capital of Culture year.

President Halonen met with President-elect Dalia Grybauskaite in Vilnius. Photo: Reuters / Lehtikuva.

President opened new embassy facilities

President Halonen, King Harald of Norway and President Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania opened the new facilities of the Finnish and Norwegian embassies on Monday, 6 July. Both embassies are located in the same building on Tauro Hill in Vilnius.

The project started while President Halonen was foreign minister. "I am glad that the building has been completed now, when Vilnius is one of the European Capitals of Culture," President Halonen said in her opening speech.

President Halonen travelled to Vilnius from Tallinn, where she took part in the Estonian Song Festival at the invitation of Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

Millennium of Lithuania