President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö made his last regional visit on Thursday 22 February 2024. The President visited his home region of Salo, where he had also made his first regional trip as the new President of the Republic of Finland 12 years earlier.
At the beginning of the visit, President Niinistö met with representatives of the City of Salo at the City Hall to discuss topical issues in the region. The topics discussed also touched on city development and mobility. President Niinistö praised the Salo Sports Park as being the most diverse of its kind in the world. He explained that he had also showcased the park when visiting abroad.
After the meeting with the city leaders, President Niinistö stopped by the marketplace for a cup of coffee. Hundreds of locals had come to greet the President, with some of them coming from much further afield.
In his meeting with the media, the President said that his visit was nostalgic and memorable. “It brings back a lot of wonderful memories and, above all, it well and truly warms my heart to see so many people turn out. A lot of familiar faces reminiscing about the good old days. It’s good to gather like this.”
A large number of young people were also on hand to meet the President. The President said that Salo is a wonderful and safe place to grow up and develop oneself. “Just like everywhere in Finland – we are always moving forward. In the midst of so many concerns, now is the time to realise that one of our greatest strengths as Finns is that we trust each other. We also have a sense of our individual responsibilities, what we ourselves are capable of contributing. With these qualities, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.”
When asked how he wanted to be remembered, the President said: “Actually, just what everyone might hope and believe they would be remembered for – that is, one did what had to be done.”
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At the beginning of the visit, President Niinistö met with representatives of the City of Salo at the City Hall and discussed current issues in the region. Photo: Riikka Hietajärvi/Office of the Republic of Finland
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At the beginning of the visit, President Niinistö met with representatives of the City of Salo at the City Hall and discussed current issues in the region. Photo: Riikka Hietajärvi/Office of the Republic of Finland
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President Niinistö stopped for a coffee in Salo market square and met locals. Photo: Riikka Hietajärvi/Office of the Republic of Finland
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President Niinistö stopped for a coffee in Salo market square and met locals. Photo: Riikka Hietajärvi/Office of the Republic of Finland
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President Niinistö stopped for a coffee in Salo market square and met locals. Photo: Riikka Hietajärvi/Office of the Republic of Finland
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President Niinistö stopped for a coffee in Salo market square and met locals. Photo: Riikka Hietajärvi/Office of the Republic of Finland
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President Niinistö stopped for a coffee in Salo market square and met locals. Photo: Riikka Hietajärvi/Office of the Republic of Finland
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President Niinistö stopped for a coffee in Salo market square and met locals. Photo: Riikka Hietajärvi/Office of the Republic of Finland