President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö met with honorary consuls representing Finland in the United States and Canada on Tuesday 7 June at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki.
President Niinistö thanked the honorary consuls for their work. Cooperation with both the United States and Canada has been intensified, particularly in the field of new technologies. In addition to economic and technological cooperation, the President and the honorary consuls discussed the current security situation.
A total of 33 honorary consuls attended, including 23 from the United States and 10 from Canada. The most senior honorary consul, Leonard Kopelman from Boston, has served as honorary consul since 1975.
Honorary consuls work to support Finnish business and cultural life and to assist Finnish citizens in the country where they are based. Honorary consuls are private individuals who carry out their tasks on a part-time basis without remuneration. They lead honorary consulates, which complement the network of Finland’s diplomatic and consular missions abroad.