Office of the President of the Republic
Press Release 51/2013
30 September 2013
President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö and his spouse will make a state visit to Switzerland on 15–16 October 2013.
The visit will begin in Zurich, where the President of the Swiss Confederation, Ueli Maurer, and his spouse will welcome President Niinistö and his spouse Jenni Haukio. The Presidents will then travel via Lucerne to Bern, for the official welcome ceremonies, speeches and official talks. These talks will focus on bilateral relations between Finland and Switzerland, the European situation and current issues in foreign and security policy.
On Wednesday 16 October, President Niinistö will visit together with President Maurer the engineering and rescue troops of the Swiss Defence Forces, a hydroelectric power plant, and the space technology company RUAG Space.
The President will be accompanied by Minister of Defence Carl Haglund and a delegation of business leaders. A round table discussion on economic relations will be organized during the visit.
The previous Finnish state visit to Switzerland was made by President Koivisto in 1986. Switzerland only accepts one state visit per year.