Finland and India Celebrate 75 Years of Friendship with Grand Event in New Delhi
New Delhi, India – The Finland Embassy in New Delhi hosted a grand reception to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Finland and India. The event showcased the strong partnership that has developed over the past 75 years.
Key Guests and Speeches
Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Tanmaya Lal was the guest of honour. The event began with the national anthems of both countries, followed by a speech from the Ambassador of Finland to India, Kimmo Lahdevirta. Ambassador Lahdevirta highlighted the historical ties and evolving partnership between the two nations, focusing on areas like digitalisation, education, sustainability, and innovation.
Sakari Puisto, Chairperson of the Commerce Committee of the Parliament of Finland, also spoke at the event. He emphasized the economic ties between Finland and India, noting that over 100 Finnish companies operate in India with investments exceeding 4 billion euros. Puisto also discussed the importance of sustainability, digital innovation, and educational exchange.
Special Messages and Performances
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, sent a special video message, reinforcing Finland’s commitment to strengthening ties with India. The evening included a cake-cutting ceremony and a cultural performance by students from the World University of Design (WUD). Earlier this year, the embassy organized a logo-design challenge at WUD to celebrate the anniversary, with the winning logo created by student Aman Narayan.
Memorable Moments
The event concluded with a raffle draw for a round-trip flight between Delhi and Helsinki, courtesy of Finnair. Guests enjoyed live jazz music and a buffet featuring Indian and Finnish delicacies. They also received Moomin mugs, celebrating Finland’s beloved cultural icons created by author Tove Jansson.
The reception celebrated the longstanding partnership between Finland and India and looked forward to a promising future of continued collaboration in various sectors.
Doubts Revealed
Finland -: Finland is a country in Northern Europe. It is known for its beautiful landscapes, including forests and lakes, and is famous for the Northern Lights.
New Delhi -: New Delhi is the capital city of India. It is where many important government buildings and embassies are located.
Embassy -: An embassy is a building where diplomats from one country work in another country. It helps people from its own country and works on relations between the two countries.
Diplomatic relations -: Diplomatic relations are the official interactions between two countries. They involve discussions and agreements on various issues like trade, culture, and security.
Ministry of External Affairs -: The Ministry of External Affairs is a part of the Indian government that handles India’s relations with other countries. It is like a big office that manages how India talks and works with other nations.
Secretary Tanmaya Lal -: Tanmaya Lal is a high-ranking official in the Ministry of External Affairs in India. He helps manage India’s international relations.
Ambassador Kimmo Lahdevirta -: Kimmo Lahdevirta is a diplomat from Finland who represents his country in India. An ambassador is like a messenger between two countries.
Sakari Puisto -: Sakari Puisto is another important person from Finland who spoke at the event. He helps in strengthening the relationship between Finland and India.
Cultural performances -: Cultural performances are shows that include music, dance, and other arts from a particular culture. They help people understand and enjoy different traditions.
Raffle draw -: A raffle draw is a game where people buy tickets for a chance to win prizes. The winners are chosen randomly from the tickets bought.
Minister for Foreign Affairs -: The Minister for Foreign Affairs is a person in the government who handles a country’s relationships with other countries. Elina Valtonen is the one from Finland.
Video message -: A video message is a recorded video where someone talks to an audience. It is often used when the person cannot be there in person.
