Presidential couple of Iceland to pay state visit to Finland

Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
Press release 63/2025
22 September 2025

President of the Republic of Iceland, Halla Tómasdóttir, accompanied by her spouse Björn Skúlason, will pay a state visit to Finland from 7 to 8 October 2025 at the invitation of President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb and Mrs Suzanne Innes-Stubb.

The visit will focus on the bilateral relations between Finland and Iceland, Nordic and other regional cooperation, issues relating to the Arctic, as well as support for Ukraine.

President Stubb and Mrs Innes-Stubb will receive President Tómasdóttir and Mr Skúlason at an official welcome ceremony on Tuesday 7 October in front of the Presidential Palace in Helsinki. The public will be able to follow the ceremony from the Market Square at around 10.00.

After the welcome ceremony, official discussions will be held at the Presidential Palace. The talks will cover, among other matters, bilateral relations between the two countries, issues relating to the Arctic, and Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. After the discussions the Presidents will meet the media at a joint press conference.

On Tuesday, the programme of President Tómasdóttir and her spouse will include a luncheon hosted by Mayor Daniel Sazonov at Helsinki City Hall, a wreath-laying ceremony at the Hietaniemi Cemetery, a visit to Parliament and a meeting with Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho, as well as a meeting with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo at the Prime Minister’s official residence Kesäranta.

In addition to the joint programme, Mr. Skúlason, together with Mrs Innes-Stubb will visit Restaurant Nolla, the Olympic Stadium and TAHTO Center for Finnish Sports Culture, as well as the headquarters of Solar Foods.

The first day of the state visit will conclude with a state banquet hosted by President Stubb and Mrs Innes-Stubb at the Presidential Palace.

On Wednesday morning, 8 October, the Presidential couples will visit the Nokia Executive Experience Center and Junior Achievement Finland’s learning centre in Espoo (JA Yrityskylä). At the Nokia Executive Experience Center, the Presidents will be introduced to Nokia’s innovations and participate in a business seminar bringing together Finnish and Icelandic companies in the energy, gaming and technology industries. At the JA Yrityskylä, they will learn about the award-winning Finnish educational innovation, which offers 6th and 9th graders experiences about working life, the economy, entrepreneurship and society.

Wednesday’s programme will include a luncheon hosted by Mayor Kai Mykkänen of Espoo at Gumböle Manor.

The state visit will then continue at Aalto University, beginning with a tour of the exhibition Designs for a Cooler Planet, which showcases multidisciplinary work by students and researchers. The exhibition presents experiments, solutions and prototypes seeking new ways to change the world through science, art, technology and the economy. The Presidents will then engage in discussions with students on leadership in a changing world order. The visit will conclude with a tour of the Aalto Design Factory, an experimental co-creation platform for interdisciplinary learning.

In the afternoon, the Presidential couples will tour the Architecture & Design Museum in Helsinki, where they will view the soon-to-open exhibition Escape to Moominvalley. The exhibition takes a fresh look at the connections between the artist and author Tove Jansson, the Moomins, architecture, and design.

The state visit will conclude with a reception hosted by Halla Tómasdóttir, accompanied by her spouse Björn Skúlason, at the Katajanokan Kasino.

The state visit delegation will include the Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir.

The previous President of Iceland, Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, and his spouse, Eliza Reid, last visited Finland on a state visit in May 2018. The former President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, and his spouse, Jenni Haukio, last paid a state visit to Iceland in October 2022.