Mukherjee to visit Norway, Finland from Oct 12

New Delhi: In a rare Scandinavian visit by an Indian President, Pranab Mukherjee will embark on a two-nation six-day visit to Norway and Finland starting October 12.

During his visit, President Mukherjee is scheduled to meet the Head of the State of Norway and Finland---King Harald V and Sauli Niinisto respectively.

The President will also meet Prime Ministers of Norway and Finland--Erna Soltberg and Alexander Stubb respectively-- besides meeting important functionaries and addressing business seminars in the two countries.

Mukherjee, who will be the first Indian President to visit Norway, will leave for Oslo on Sunday, officials said today.

After meeting senior officials and members of Norwegian business community, he will arrive in Finland on October 14.

In Finland, Mukherjee will meet his counterpart Sauli Niinisto, Prime Minister Alexander Stubb and other leaders, an External Affairs Ministry statement said.

It will be the first visit by an Indian President to Finland in 26 years. The late President R Venkataraman had visited the country in 1988. Mukherjee had travelled to Finland as Commerce Minister in 1993.

In Helsinki, the President will be addressing a business seminar.

Later he will also visit Rovaniemi, the Santa Claus village at the Arctic Circle, besides visiting the 'Arktikum' museum and Arctic Science Centre.

Mukherjee will be accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes Union minister P Radhakrishnan, senior officials and senior representatives of educational and academic institutions and the business community.

He will return home on October 17.