President Niinistö to make official visit to Germany

Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
Press release 40/2023
2 November 2023

President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö and his spouse Jenni Haukio will make an official visit to Germany on 15–16 November 2023. The visit will be hosted by President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his spouse Elke Büdenbender.

President Niinistö and Federal President Steinmeier will hold formal discussions at the Federal President’s official residence Villa Hammerschmidt in Bonn on Wednesday 15 November. Topics to be discussed will cover the bilateral relations between Finland and Germany, security in Europe and the strain on the multilateral rules-based system.

Later on Wednesday, the Presidents will further elaborate on security issues with foreign and security policy experts and academics. The programme will continue with a visit to the Old Town of Bonn and conclude with a dinner hosted by the German Federal President and his spouse.

On Thursday 16 November, President Niinistö and Federal President Steinmeier will visit the Federal Ministry of Defence, where they will be introduced to modern defence technologies. After that, the presidential couples will visit the Old Town of Unkel.

In addition to the joint programme, Jenni Haukio and Elke Büdenbender will visit the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and a local UNICEF Child Rights School, where they will attend a meeting of the Children's Parliament and meet schoolchildren.

President Niinistö previously visited Germany in February 2023 to attend the Munich Security Conference. Federal President Steinmeier last visited Finland in 2022.