Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson begins a two-day visit in Finland on Monday. He and his Finnish opposite number, Petteri Orpo (NCP), are first to hold talks at the premier’s official residence, Kesäranta, in Helsinki’s Meilahti neighbourhood. The ongoing efforts to bring peace and security to Ukraine are expected to dominate the discussions, along with current EU and bilateral issues.
On Tuesday, the prime ministers will attend an event in Espoo marking the 50th anniversary of the Hanaholmen Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre.
Finnish defence minister visits LA, Pearl Harbor
Meanwhile another NCP cabinet member, Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, is heading to the US for a five-day trip that will also focus on Ukraine. The visit will include stops in California and Hawaii.
On Saturday – Finnish Independence Day – Häkkänen will take part in a panel discussion entitled "Five Percent for Freedom: Nato and the Future of Ukraine" at the Reagan National Defense Forum in the Greater Los Angeles Area of southern California.
The list of attendees has not been announced, but will include "members of Congress, senior military leadership and industry executives," according to a Finnish Defence Ministry statement.
Häkkänen will also meet with "leaders of the US defence administration" and visit Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. Among others, he will also meet with Admiral Samuel John Paparo Jr., Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command.
"We have actively deepened the defence cooperation between Finland and the United States, which is currently closer than ever before. During my visit, in meetings and negotiations with representatives of the political and military leadership of the United States, we plan to further deepen this cooperation," Häkkänen said in a press release.
According to a recent survey by the daily Helsingin Sanomat, Häkkänen and Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen are the main contenders to take over from Orpo as head of the National Coalition Party.
