Former President Koivisto passes away

Former President Mauno Koivisto died in Helsinki at the age of 93 on Friday, the Finnish presidential office announced.

Koivisto died in the Meilahti hospital in Helsinki at 21:14 local time Friday, said the presidential office in a statement. Koivisto had been suffering from Alzheimers.

He was last seen in public on Dec. 6, 2016 when he attended the official church service of the Finnish Independence Day.

Born in 1923, Koivisto was first in office in 1981 serving the remainder of the tenure of Urho Kekkonen, who resigned for health reasons.

Koivisto became elected president in 1982. He was reelected in 1988 and stayed in office until 1994.

During his two terms, Koivisto continued the foreign policy keeping Finland outside great power conflicts of interest.

He underlined good relations with the Soviet Union, and meanwhile widened the relationship with the United States. During Koivisto's presidency, Ronald Reagan visited Finland as the first U.S. president in office in 1988.Also during his presidency, Finland began talks for joining the European Union.

The President, Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Juha Sipilä expressed profound shock at the death of the former President Koivisto.

"Koivisto’s rise from a humble home to go to become a university lecturer, a banking executive and in the end a national political leader is a Finnish success story with few equals," said Niinistö in a statement, according to national broadcaster Yle..

“Yesterday evening I received the very sad news that Finland’s former president Mauno Koivisto had passed away. Both personally and on behalf of the Finnish government, I offer my deepest condolences to Mauno Koivisto’s family and relatives,” Sipilä said in a statement sent by the Prime Minister Office on Saturday.

We have lost a person who had a huge influence on our country's history. He was a war veteran and a patriot who firmly guided the nation through a difficult recession and towards membership of the European Union. President Koivisto represented a unique combination of expertise in finance, economics and foreign policy.

His understanding of Russian affairs was unrivalled. The date of Koivisto’s death, 12 May, is not without symbolism, as this is the day on which, each year, we honour nineteenth century Finnish statesman J.V. Snellman and celebrate Finnish heritage.

“Koivisto was a prime example of the opportunities provided to young people in modern Finland. A talented son of a ship’s carpenter, he acquired a higher academic degree and then a doctorate, and advanced to very demanding positions in Finnish society, finally becoming President of the Republic of Finland. All this was achieved through his own efforts, having had to take responsibility for himself and his family already at the age of ten, following the death of his mother,” said the Prime Minister.

Mauno Koivisto represented what is best about Finland: anyone can succeed, and everyone has the opportunity. Mauno Koivisto’s family, relatives and friends, you are in our thoughts at this time of great sorrow, he added.