Finland | Centenary Celebrations

Embassy Network | 15th December 2017

Ambassador Luostarinen makes her Centenary celebration remarks

Foreign Minister the Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan and Ambassador Luostarinen toast a century of Finnish independence

Foreign Minister the Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan praises Finland for its many achievements

Ambassador Luostarinen welcomes the Ambassador of Belgium Mr Rudolf Huygelen and his wife, Mrs Marianne Lecleu

Ambassador Luostarinen greets Danish Ambassador Mr Lars Thuesen

Ambassador Luostarinen with Georgian Ambassador Mrs Tamar Beruchashvili

Finnish Defence Attaché Colonel Janne Ilomäki welcomes Hungarian Defence Attaché Col Jozsef Gulyás

Ambassador Luostarinen with Latvian Ambassador Ms Baiba Braže

Ambassador Luostarinen with Norwegian Ambassador Ms Mona Juul

Ambassador Luostarinen welcomes the Austrian Ambassador Mr Martin Eichtinger

Ambassador Luostarinen welcomes the Swedish Ambassador Mr Torbjörn Sohlström

Finnish Centenary Feast
There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when Finnish soprano Marjukka Tepponen gave a moving rendition of Sibelius’s Finlandia at Finland’s centenary celebration on 5 December. Finnish Ambassador Mrs Päivi Luostarinen recalled that a century ago, Finland was a poor agrarian country and today, despite its limited resources, it is one of the wealthiest, most competitive and democratic nations in Europe, thanks to its “smart, knowledgeable, innovative people”.

Ties with Britain pre-date independence and these would endure despite Britain’s departure from the EU, she added. “Finland and the UK will remain close European partners. Our common interests will not disappear.”

In toasting Finland Foreign Minister the Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan said: “We will build an ever stronger trading relationship, a stronger science and technology relationship and a stronger defence and security relationship with Finland.”

PHOTOS: PIERRE DE VILLIERS