President Halonen to visit Turkey and Serbia

Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
Press Release 14 March 2011

President of the Republic Tarja Halonen and Dr Pentti Arajärvi will visit Turkey and Serbia between 28 March and 1 April 2011.

During the official visit in Turkey, President Halonen will have a meeting with President Abdullah Gül. In addition to bilateral relations and Turkey’s EU accession prospects, discussions will focus on the ongoing transition in the Middle East and North Africa and sustainable development.

In Ankara, President Halonen will also meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly Mehmet Ali Şahin.

During the second day of her visit, President Halonen will visit the city of Sanliurfa in south-eastern Turkey. She will meet leaders of the region and learn about the water and infrastructure development project (GAP) which aims to raise the standard of living in the region. She will also visit a support centre for women and children and speak at the University of Harran.

President of the Republic of Turkey Abdullah Gül made an official visit to Finland in October 2008.

During the state visit to Serbia on 31 March–1 April, President Halonen will have meetings with Serbia’s President Boris Tadić and Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković and visit the National Assembly of Serbia to meet its Speaker. She will also meet representatives of Serbian NGOs and visit the city of Novi Sad in the autonomous province of Vojvodina.