President Halonen in Saudi Arabia

President of the Republic Tarja Halonen met King Abdullah bin Abdel Aziz Al Saud in Jeddah in connection with her official visit to Saudi Arabia on Monday, 22 October. The main topic of discussion was bilateral cooperation between Finland and Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah was particularly interested in the Finnish education system and told that Saudi Arabia is keen to cooperate with Finland in this field. Possible cooperation to promote rule of law was also discussed in the meeting. There has been a fast development in the economic relations between Finland and Saudi Arabia. It was noted that there are further opportunities for cooperation in many industrial sectors, including environmental technology. The exchange of visits between Finland and Saudi Arabia has also increased during the recent years.

President Halonen met King Abdullah in Jeddah, Saudi-Arabia.
Copyright © Office of the President of the Republic of Finland

The talks also covered regional issues, such as the peace process in the Middle East and the situations in Iran, Irak, Turkey, Sudan and Somalia.

King Abdullah received President Halonen and her entourage at his private palace in Jeddah. The two-hour meeting included official talks and a banquet attended by prominent members of the Saudi Arabian royal family, as well as several ministers.

First visit

President Halonen and Dr Pentti Arajärvi are on an official visit to Saudi Arabia from 21 to 24 October 2007. The visit is the first head-of-state visit between the countries.

On Monday, President Halonen also met representatives of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu of the Jeddah-based organization told about the organization’s efforts to promote intercultural dialogue. Another topic discussed in the meeting was the cooperation between the OIC and other international organizations, such as the UN, the EU and The OSCE. Secretary-General Ihsanoglu said that he is expecting a lot from the upcoming Finnish OSCE Presidency.

During the three day visit, President Halonen will also meet Crown Prince Sultan, Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal bin, members of Shura Advisory Council and representatives from Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission. The programme also includes a visit to King Abdulaziz University and an economic seminar organised by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce.

President Halonen is accompanied by Minister of Trade and Industry Mauri Pekkarinen and a high-level business delegation.