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Barack Obama

President Niinistö to make first White House visit

The Finnish president will join four Nordic prime ministers in a meeting with outgoing President Barack Obama in mid-May. It's the first White House invitation to a Finnish president in 14 years.

Tanskan pääministeri Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Suomen presidentti Sauli niinistö, Yhdysvaltain presidentti Barack Obama, Ruotsin pääministeri Fredrik Reinfeldt, Norjan pääministeri Jens Stoltenberg sekä Islannin pääministeri Davia Gunnlaugsson.
Tanskan pääministeri Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Suomen presidentti Sauli Niinistö, Yhdysvaltain presidentti Barack Obama, Ruotsin pääministeri Fredrik Reinfeldt, Norjan pääministeri Jens Stoltenberg sekä Islannin pääministeri David Gunnlaugsson. Image: Epa / Henrik Montgomery

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö's office confirmed on Friday that he will join other Nordic leaders on a visit to the White House on May 13, as reported earlier by the news agency Reuters.

President Barack Obama has invited Niinistö to attend along with the premiers of Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

The agenda of the US-Nordic Leaders' Summit is to range from terrorism to nuclear security, Arctic affairs and sustainable development and environmental issues; from European security to trade and the refugee crisis.

First visit by Finnish president in 14 years

Obama last met with the Nordic leaders in Sweden more than two and a half years ago.

Before that, Niinistö and Obama met in South Korea in 2012, the year the Finn took office, and when Obama began his second term in office.

Obama was first inaugurated in 2009 and is due to step down next January, while Niinistö's term runs until early 2018.

His predecessor, Tarja Halonen, visited the White House twice, meeting Bill Clinton in 2000 and George W. Bush two years later.