merrion street

Former President of Finland, Mr. Martti Ahtisaari, is in Ireland today to deliver a keynote address on “The Role of the EU in Conflict Resolution” as part of the Iveagh House lecture series.
Mr. Martti Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 for “his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts”.[1] Amongst these was his role in the Northern Ireland Peace Process on the crucial and very sensitive issue of weapons decommissioning.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, T.D., will host a lunch for Mr. Ahtisaari in Iveagh House, where they will discuss a range of foreign and EU policy issues. He will also make a courtesy call on the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, T.D. On Thursday, Mr. Ahtisaari will address the IIEA and make a courtesy call on President Michael D. Higgins.
Speaking before his meeting with Mr. Ahtisaari, Minister Coveney said:
“I am delighted to welcome Former President Ahtisaari to Ireland. Mr. Ahtisaari has made a great contribution to peace on this island. I am grateful to him for taking the time to return to Ireland and for sharing his expertise in conflict resolution. Ireland also has a long history in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts and I look forward to the exchange of experiences with Mr. Ahtisaari.”
Minister Coveney also congratulated former President Ahtisaari on the 100th anniversary of Finnish independence this year. The Minister said that:
“Ireland and Finland have a strong bilateral relationship and I welcome the opportunity to further strengthen the ties between our countries”.