Niinistö to attend celebrations in Riga

President Sauli Niinistö will attend the official celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the restoration of Latvian independence scheduled for November 18 in Riga, said the president’s office in a press release on Monday.

President Niinistö’s visit will be hosted by Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis.

The day begins with a flower-laying ceremony at the Freedom Monument. This will be followed by a visit to the National History Museum of Latvia and a military parade of the Latvian National Armed Forces.

In the afternoon, President Niinistö will attend a luncheon hosted by President Vējonis at Riga Castle and a 100th anniversary concert at the Latvian National Theatre.

The visit will conclude with a ceremony at the Latvian National Library, where each visiting head of state will gift a literary work of national importance to the library’s collection. To mark the occasion, President Niinistö will donate a Finnish novel, The Unknown Soldier, by Väinö Linna translated into Latvian.

The centenary celebrations in Latvia commenced in May 2017 and are set to continue until 2021 to mark the process of Latvian independence. The celebrations will culminate on Sunday, 18 November, the date marking 100 years since the proclamation of Latvian independence.