President Halonen hosts dinner for Nobel laureate Ahtisaari

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It was all smiles on Thursday evening, when President Tarja Halonen hosted a dinner for her predecessor in office, Martti Ahtisaari. The dinner at the Presidential Palace was in honour of Ahtisaari’s award of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
      Also attending the event was former President Mauno Koivisto, as well as key government ministers.
     
In spite of speculation to the contrary, there was no sign of tension between the former and current Finnish presidents, as they entered the dining room arm-in-arm.
      The fact that President Halonen had not been invited by Ahtisaari to attend the award ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo had led some commentators to suggest that there might be some personal resentment between the two.
     
In her speech at the dinner, Halonen referred to Ahtisaari by his first name, and said that all of Finland is proud of his Nobel Peace Prize.
      In his own speech, Ahtisaari got a number of laughs from the audience. He joked that to win more Nobel prizes he would have to become an author, for instance. He also praised people who were present, who had helped him in his work.
      At the end of his speech, Ahtisaari raised a glass to friendship. The guests gave him a standing ovation.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Nobel Peace laureate Martti Ahtisaari makes appeal for peace in Middle East (11.12.2008)
  Prime Minister Vanhanen put forward Ahtisaari for Nobel Peace Prize (16.12.2008)
  Serious moments and laughs for Ahtisaari at Nobel Concert in Oslo (12.12.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat