President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto will next week leave for a two-day State Visit to Finland aimed at strengthening diplomatic, trade and investment ties with Kenya.
The President of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb, and his spouse, Suzanne Innes-Stubb, will host their Kenyan counterparts.
A program says resident Ruto will arrive in Finland on Wednesday, June 10, and will be received by his counterpart, Stubb, in a welcoming ceremony held in front of the Presidential Palace in Helsinki.
After the ceremony, official discussions will take place at the Presidential Palace, focusing on the development of the UN system and mediation, regional issues in Africa and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and the promotion of trade between Finland and Kenya.
Following the discussions, the presidents will hold a joint press conference.
Wednesday’s programme also includes a luncheon hosted by the Mayor of Helsinki, Daniel Sazonov, at Helsinki City Hall, a wreath-laying ceremony at the Hietaniemi cemetery, and a meeting with the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, Jussi Halla-aho, at the Parliament Building.
Later, President Stubb and President Ruto will take part in a high-level panel discussion on the UN and peace mediation, titled “The Promise of Peace”, at the Government Banquet Hall.
The day will end with a state banquet hosted by President Stubb and Mrs Innes-Stubb at the Presidential Palace.
On Thursday, June 11, the presidents will participate in an event held at the Nokia Executive Experience Center in Espoo, aimed at promoting trade between Finland and Kenya.
Ruto will make history by being the first African Head of State to take part in a panel discussion at the Kultaranta Talks together with President Stubb.
The Kultaranta Talks are an annual foreign and security policy forum held at the presidential summer residence Kultaranta.
In Helsinki, before his return, President Ruto will meet with members of the Kenyan community in Finland.
The spouses of the presidents have a separate programme in addition to the presidential couples’ joint programme which involves visiting a gaming company to discuss women’s opportunities in technology companies, as well as Helsinki Central Library Oodi and the New Children’s Hospital.
In Turku, the spouses of the presidents will be introduced to the activities of Women’s Health Hub Finland, a nationwide innovation network focused on women’s health, and visit the health technology company Revvity, which specialises in prenatal and newborn screening.
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