President to visit Germany on Nov 15-16

President Sauli Niinistö and First Lady Jenni Haukio will make an official visit to Germany from November 15 to 16, said the President Office in a press release on Thursday.

The visit will be hosted by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his spouse Elke Büdenbender.

Niinistö and Steinmeier will hold formal discussions at the German President’s official residence Villa Hammerschmidt in Bonn on November 15.

Topics to be discussed will cover the bilateral relations between Finland and Germany, security in Europe and the strain on the multilateral rules-based system.

On the same day, the Presidents will further elaborate on security issues with foreign and security policy experts and academics. The programme will continue with a visit to the Old Town of Bonn and conclude with a dinner hosted by the German President and his spouse.

On November 16, Niinistö and Steinmeier will visit the Federal Ministry of Defence, where they will be introduced to modern defence technologies. After that, the presidential couples will visit the Old Town of Unkel among other places.

In addition to the joint programme, Jenni Haukio and Elke Büdenbender will visit the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and a local UNICEF Child Rights School, where they will attend a meeting of the Children's Parliament and meet schoolchildren.

Niinistö previously visited Germany in February 2023 to attend the Munich Security Conference. Steinmeier last visited Finland in 2022.