Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Press Release 55/2014
7 March 2014
President Tarja Halonen will attend the inauguration ceremonies of President MichelleBachelet of Chile in Santiago de Chile and Valparaíso on 10–11 March. President Halonen will represent President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö at the inauguration ceremonies.
President Halonen and President Bachelet already know each other from Bachelet’s first term as President of Chile in 2006–2010. Both of them were their country’s first woman to hold the presidency. During the term of President Sebastián Piñera (2010–2014), Bachelet was the Executive Director of UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. Chilean law does not allow the same person to hold two consecutive terms as President.
During her visit, President Halonen will meet not only with President Bachelet but will also have bilateral meetings with two ministers of the new Chilean Government: Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz and Minister of Health Helia Molina.
In addition to the inauguration ceremonies, Halonen will have discussions with the Chilean authorities and NGOs on topics including the post-2015 Development Agenda as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights. President Halonen is the Co-Chairperson of the High-Level Task Force for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). In addition, President Halonen will meet, among others, with Chileans who had been refugees in Finland and with representatives of Finnish companies operating in Chile.
Finland has a good reputation in Chile and is considered to be an example country especially in the sectors of education and technology. The most recent visits at the level of Head of State were President Michelle Bachelet’s visit to Finland in 2007 and President Tarja Halonen’s visit to Chile in 2003.