Moment of silence held, govt to decide on Ahtisaari´s funeral

The Government will decide on the arrangements for the state funeral of former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari in its plenary session on Wednesday, said an official press release on Tuesday.

At the beginning of the session, the members of the Government will hold a moment of silence to honour the memory of late President Ahtisaari.

In the session, the Government will also set up a committee to plan and organise the state funeral.

The Prime Minister’s Office will be responsible for the funeral arrangements.

The arrangements will respect the wishes of the family and will be made in close cooperation with the Office of the President, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and numerous other parties.

Meanwhile, the ​Parliament honoured Ahtisaari's life's work in its plenary session on Tuesday, said the parliament in a press release.

Speaker Jussi Halla-aho delivered the eulogy for the former President in the plenary session.

Former President Martti Ahtisaari passed away in Helsinki on Monday morning at 6:40 after a long illness, said a press release issued by the office of the Finnish President. He was 86.

Finnish and international leaders on Monday expressed shock at the death of former President and Nobel laureate Martti Ahtisaari.