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President Ilves awards a number of state decorations on the eve of his state visit to Finland

09.05.2014

The President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who will depart next week for a state visit to the Republic of Finland, will give high-level decorations of the Republic of Estonia to a number of politicians, cultural figures and supporters of society of Finland.

Collar of the Cross of Terra Mariana will be awarded to the President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö.

Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, Class I, will be awarded to the Chairman of the Finnish Parliament, Eero Heinäluoma; Prime Minister, Jyrki Katainen, for the promotion of co-operation in Nordic-Baltic region; Minister of Defence, Carl Haglund, for supporting defence co-operation between Estonia and Finland; and Minister of Foreign Trade and European Affairs, Alexander Stubb, who in his capacity as a member to the European Parliament contributed to the Baltic Sea Strategy becoming official European Union policy.

The Cross of Eagle, Class I, will be given to the Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, General Ari Puheloinen.

High-level state decorations of the Republic of Finland will also be awarded to Professor of Philosophy of University of Aalto, Esa Saarinen; member of the Finnish Parliament, Ben Zyskowicz, who has steadfastly stood for democracy, human rights and a state based on the rule of law; long-term shaper of Estonian-Finnish co-operation and Director of the Nordic Countries Division of the European Department of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vesa Vasara; former President of Finnish Pen Club and supporter of Estonian-Finnish co-operation, Jukka Mallinen; current President of Pen Club, writer and poet, and active speaker for complicated social issues, Jarkko Tontti.

Orders of the Cross of Terra Mariana will also be awarded to promoter of Finnish-Estonian co-operation, Markus Anaja, who has supported, as a volunteer, our Defence League since it was restored; Chairman of the Finnish Federation of Estonian Societies, active Estonian-Finnish translator and searcher for publishing opportunities, and promoter of educational co-operation, Sanna Immanen; promoter of Finnish-Estonian cultural co-operation, sole owner and CEO of OY Rockadillo, Tapio Korjus, who has supported indie music in Estonia for about a quarter of century and established international contacts for Estonian performers and producers; Kirsi Korpi, who studied to become a medical doctor in University of Tartu and now works at Leilahti Hospital of University of Helsinki as a cardiologist and is a supporter of Finnish-Estonian academic organisations and co-operation in the sphere of medicine, and a medical doctor of the Finnish national speed skating team; Acting Secretary of Varsinais-Suomen Viro Centre, promoter of co-operation between twin cities, Turku and Tartu, Reino Lemmetyinen; writer, playwright and columnist, the owner and CEO of company Omnia Mea Arts Juha Vakkuri, former Head of the Department of International Co-operation Projects of YLE, introducer of Estonian culture both in Finland and Europe in general, whose first co-operation partner was, via Tallinnfilm, Lennart Meri, with his full-length documentary, Linnutee tuuled (the Winds of the Milky way), completed in 1977.

Decorations of the Republic of Estonia will be also awarded to journalist, long-term editor and current columnist of YLE, Jarmo Mäkela, and defender of humanitarian values and former Editor in Chief of Helsingin Sanomat, Mikael Pentikäinen.

Decorations of the Republic of Estonia will be awarded to entrepreneurs, Director of Vuosaari Harbour, which is a partner of Tallinn harbour, Jukka Kallio and CEO of Helsinki Harbour, Kimmo Mäki.


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The President, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, and Mrs. Evelin Ilves, will be on a state visit to Finland on 12-14 May.

The Estonian Head of State will meet with his Finnish colleague, Sauli Niinistö, the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, Eero Heinäluoma and the Prime Minister, Jyrki Katainen. Presidents Ilves and Niinistö will open the Estonian-Finnish business seminar.

The Estonian Head of State will give a public lecture, North Europe After the Destruction of the Finnish Accords in Ukraine, at the Finnish National Opera, his audience being the alumni of the Finnish Higher National Defence Courses.

He will also pay a visit to several companies in Helsinki, including Vuosaari Harbour, which is a partner harbour of Tallinn Harbour, and also Suomenlinna.

The Finnish Presidential Couple will give a state dinner to honour their guests while President Ilves and Mrs. Evelin Ilves will hold a reception on the Tallink ship, Silja Europa.

The official delegation accompanying the Estonian Head of State consists of the Minister of Foreign Trade and Entrepreneurship, Anne Sulling; the Minister of Cultural Affairs, Urve Tiidus; the Commander of the Defence Forces, Major General Riho Terras; Secretary General of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Paavo Nõgene; members of the Riigikogu, Marko Mihkelson and Rein Lang; Head of Eesti Disainikeskus (Estonian Design Centre), Jane Oblikas; and the Head of the Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic of University of Tartu, Assistant Professor Eve Unt. The business delegation, consisting of 40 members, is headed by the Chairman of the Management Board of the Estonian Chamber of Trade and Industry, Toomas Luman.

Evelin Ilves will pay a visit to the Helsinki Sports Medicine Research and Training Centre, an exhibition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tove Jansson at the Ateneum Museum, enterprises Marimekko and Suunto and will open an exhibition of textile items by Anu Raud at the Estonian Embassy in Helsinki.


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