President Halonen to attend Alliance of Civilizations Forum in Madrid

Office of the President of the Republic of Finland Press Release 8 January 2008

President of the Republic Tarja Halonen will travel to Spain to participate in the Alliance of Civilizations Forum, which will take place in Madrid on 15-16 January 2008.

The Alliance of Civilizations is an initiative that was launched by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to promote dialogue particularly between the Western countries and the Islamic world. The first Alliance of Civilizations Forum in Madrid will bring together political leaders, representatives of international bodies and leading cultural figures. Mr Jorge Sampaio, the former President of Portugal, is serving as High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations.

President Halonen will speak at a plenary session on political challenges to building cross-cultural understanding.