News
The article is more than 2 years old

President Niinistö among recipients of Atlantic Council's Global Citizen Award

The US-based foreign and security think tank has handed out the awards for the past 10 years.

Tasavallan presidentti Sauli Niinistö.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, file photo. Image: Otso Ritonummi / Yle
  • Yle News

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö will be one of six recipients of the Atlantic Council's Global Citizen Award, the organisation has announced. He will be presented with the award in New York on Monday, a day before he is to address the UN General Assembly.

The Atlantic Council, which is a Washington-based foreign and security policy think tank, has chosen "world citizens" for the past decade.

Along with Niinistö, this year other recipients of the award include Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, actor and activist Forest Whitaker and the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The awards dinner is held every year during the United Nations General Assembly week in New York City. This year's dinner is scheduled on 19 September.

The Atlantic Council said that the award "recognizes global leaders who have made exceptional and distinctive contributions to the strengthening of the transatlantic relationship."

According to the think tank, regular attendees at the dinner include current and former heads of state, UN ambassadors, US administration members, business leaders and famous artists.