OLYMPIA, Wash. — The President of Finland will visit the state capitol in Olympia on Monday as he begins a five-day tour of the United States.
President Sauli Niinistö will be received by Governor Jay Inslee and address a joint session of the Washington State Legislature.
His visit comes days after Finland’s parliament approved the country’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
In a joint statement with the leaders of Sweden and Norway, Niinistö cited the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a factor that prompted the three countries to decide to apply for NATO membership.
A delegation of 45 representatives from Washington state employers, government agencies and schools, including Inslee, visited Finland during a trade mission to the Nordic countries last September.
“Finland’s bright thinking, sustainable innovation, and present equanimity inspire the world,” Inslee said in a news release. “President Niinistö said recently that the ‘cold face of war is visible’ on his continent. Finland has not wavered. It was my honor to be received by the president in Finland last September, and it is again my honor to welcome him to Olympia to discuss our partnership.”
The two leaders are expected to discuss their partnership on tech research, trade, clean energy and sustainable forestry.
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