Foreign head of state addresses WA state Legislature for first time in 134 years
.jpeg "The President of Finland Sauli Niinistö addresses media at a press conference in Olympia on Monday. Niinistö visited the Washington state Capitol for a bilateral meeting with Gov. Jay Inslee and to deliver remarks at a Joint Session of the Legislature.")
The President of Finland Sauli Niinistö visited the Washington state Capitol Monday for a bilateral meeting with Gov. Jay Inslee and to deliver remarks at a Joint Session of the Legislature.
The event marked the first time in Washington’s 134-year history that a foreign head of state has addressed a Joint Session of the Legislature, according to the governor’s office.
“Finland and the United States share a strong and long standing relationship,” Niinistö said. “Geographically, we might be far apart but our cultural and historical ties are very close. And most importantly, we stand for the same values.”
He noted that the “current critical geopolitical situation has brought us closer together than ever before” regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We are now strengthening our ties in sectors such as defense, trade, technology and energy security,” said Niinistö. “And soon we will be able to call each other Allies.”
Niinistö’s visit came just days after Finland’s Parliament approved the country’s final bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and just over a year since Russian forces invaded Ukraine. Russia and Finland share 832 miles of border between the two countries.
The Finnish President also called Finland and Washington “forerunners” in the fight against climate change.
“In the future, our competitiveness and national security will be closely tied to emerging technologies,” said Niinistö. “In fields such as 6G, quantum computing and artificial intelligence, we have a lot to gain from cooperation. I trust that the good work that we have started between Finland and the State of Washington will bear fruit and benefit not just us but also the larger international community.”
During a press conference with Finnish and Washington State media, Inslee said there are two crises that currently unite Washington State and Finland: climate change and the invasion of Ukraine.
The governor elaborated on Finland’s technological developments to “defeat climate change” including capturing wastewater energy heat and how to power ships with hydrogen. Inslee added that he thinks Washington is leading the way in terms of climate change in the U.S.
“But we are most intensely united in the effort to stand with the people of Ukraine,” Inslee added.
The meeting was not the first between the governor and the Finnish President.
In September 2022 Inslee visited the Nordic countries including Finland for a trade mission that focused on new approaches to sustainability, climate change and technology.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between Finland and Washington state in 2021 that committed to a partnership on technological research, port modernization, clean energy and transportation, and sustainable forestry.
Washington was the first stop on a five day trip by the Finnish President.
In addition to a President, Finland also has a Prime Minister, Sanna Marin. She was first elected in 2019, and became the youngest head of government in the world.
