From Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 May 2016, TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess will conduct a state visit to Finland at the invitation of Finnish President, Sauli Niinistö.

The royals will be accompanied by Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Economy, Étienne Schneider; Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn; and Minister of the Environment, Carole Dieschbourg, as well as a large economic delegation.

The delegation will be officially welcomed at the presidential palace, where TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess will be greeted by the president and his wife, Jenni Haukio, before an exchange of gifts.

Luxembourg Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Jean Asselborn, is expected to meet with the head of Finnish diplomacy, Timo Soini, to review bilateral relations as well as major issues in European and international politics and more particularly the international refugee crisis, the situation in Ukraine and that in the Middle-East.

The second day will involve a Finland-Luxembourg economic seminar jointly organised by the Chambers of Commerce of the two countries as well as the Luxembourg for Finance agency and the Export Promotion Agency of Finland (FinPro), with opening remarks due to be given by HRH the Grand Duke and Sauli Niinistö. Étienne Schneider will address representatives of Finnish companies from the energy, economy and finance sectors, whilst the overall objective of the seminar will be to explore synergies and new business opportunities between the two countries.

HRH the Grand Duke will be given the medal of honour of Helsinki by the President of the City Council, Harry Bogomoloff and Deputy Mayor of Helsinki, Pekka Saur, before joining the Luxembourg delegation on a visit to the Hietaniemi cemetery to lay two wreaths, one before the Cross of Heroes and the other on the grave of Marshal Mannerheim, the military leader regarded by the Finnish people as the symbol of the struggle against Russia in the first half of the twentieth century.

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess are also expected to meet First Vice President of the Finnish Parliament, Mauri Pekkarinen for an exchange of views, before visiting part sof the city of Helsinki such as the Esplanada, Senate Square and the Temppeliaukio church built into rock, where the Luxembourg delegation will listen to the church's acoustics with an organ performance.

Meanwhile Minister of the Environment, Carole Dieschbourg, will hold a meeting with Finnish Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Kimmo Tiilikainen, on policy actions and structural changes proposed by the Finnish government and the implementation of the Agenda 2030 and its 17 sustainable development goals. Étienne Schneider will hold a discussion with Finnish Minister of the Economy, Olli Rehn, to exchange views on the economic situation and the European energy policy, as well as the digital revolution and diversification and innovation in Luxembourg and Finland.

During a later visit to Aalto University, Finland's first "super-university", the result of a merger between three elite Finnish universities, where the Grand Ducal couple will meet the heads of innovative programmes such as Design Factory and Startup Sauna, as well as speak with the students. The visit will also enable TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess to visit the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the largest multi-technology research centre in northern Europe which has as its objectives innovation, the development of new technologies and the creation of added value for improving competitiveness in the domestic industry.

The visit to Finland will be concluded with a trip to the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia located just outisde of the Nuuksio National Park, 25km from Helsinki, allowing TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess and Ministers Schneider and Dieschbourg to discover a gallery of images of wildlife, landscapes and natural phenomena from around different parts of the country.

 

Photo by Cross PIn Flags