Finland’s first lady, Suzanne Innes-Stubb, will not attend a March meeting for spouses of heads of state hosted by her US counterpart, Melania Trump.
Due to 'scheduling conflicts', Innes-Stubb will not be able to attend the meeting, the President's Office said in a statement to the Finnish news agency STT on Tuesday. It added that Innes-Stubb has responded to the invitation.
First spouses from all the world have been invited to join the White House event on 24-25 March, according to the New York Post.
The British-born Innes-Stubb, who speaks five languages, had a successful career as a corporate lawyer before her husband, Alexander Stubb, became president nearly two years ago. She is now an Executive in Residence for business law at Aalto University.
According to the White House, Fostering the Future Together is "a global coalition of nations committed to enhancing the well-being of children through the promotion of education, innovation, and technology".
It says that "the members of Fostering the Future Together will include the spouses—or equivalent representatives—of heads of government".
According to a Unicef report published in November, the US has one of the developed world's highest child poverty rates at 30.3 percent. Finland has one of the lowest at 11.6 percent.
