Finnish President Visits Washington Monday

OLYMPIA, WA — The President of Finland will be in Washington bright and early Monday, marking his first stop in a planned five-day tour of the United States.

According to Gov. Jay Inslee's office, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö's motorcade is scheduled to arrive on the capitol campus in Olympia shortly before 9 a.m. Monday, with the national anthems of both countries set to be performed by the Finnish Choral Society of Seattle.

Niinistö's visit arrives as Finland nears formally joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and shortly after the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. According to the governor, Washington welcomed more than 16,000 Ukrainian refugees last year — more than any other state.

"Finland’s bright thinking, sustainable innovation, and present equanimity inspire the world," Inslee said in a statement. "President Niinistö said recently that the ‘cold face of war is visible’ on his continent. Finland has not wavered. It was my honor to be received by the president in Finland last September, and it is again my honor to welcome him to Olympia to discuss our partnership."

President Niinistö is scheduled to participate in a joint session of the state legislature ahead of a bilateral meeting. He will join Inslee for a media availability shortly after 10 a.m., which will be streamed online. His visit to the Evergreen State will be brisk and is expected to conclude by 10:30 a.m.

The rest of the trip will take Niinistö to Palo Alto, to discuss security policies and international politics, and on to Washington, D.C., where he is scheduled to meet with members of Congress. On Friday, he is expected to visit Naval Station Norfolk before departing back for Finland.

Inslee visited Finland on a trade mission last September, meeting with Niinistö at the Presidential Palace and learning more about the country's climate initiatives. Washington and Finland agreed to a partnership the year before on technology research, clean energy, transportation, and technical research.