Halonen to attend funeral of Rüütel

Former President Tarja Halonen will attend the state funeral of late President of Estonia Arnold Rüütel on Saturday in Tallinn, said Office of the Finnish President on Friday.

Halonen will give one of the commemorative speeches at the event.

Arnold Rüütel served as the President Estonia from 2001 to 2006.

Services forming part of the state funeral for President Arnold Rüütel has begun on Friday at Kadriorg Art Museum.

On Saturday, Rüütel’s casket will be brought to Toompea, where a commemorative ceremony will be held in the Governor’s Garden at sunrise.

President Rüütel will be buried in the grounds of the Forest Cemetery.

Arnold Rüütel, the last communist leader of Soviet Estonia and the Baltic country’s second president after the restoration of independence died on December 31, 2024 at the age of 96.