Finnish president to visit Aceh

Finnish President Tarja Kaarina Halonen is scheduled to visit Nanggroe
Aceh Darussalam next month to see for himself the peaceful conditions
prevailing in the province.

"The Finnish president will visit Aceh probably in February 2008 to see
for himself developments following the signing on August 15, 2005 of a
peace accord," Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf said on Monday.

Irwandi said the Finnish president`s planned visit was inseparable from
the great role played by his country in creating peace in Indonesia`s
western-most province.

"Finland is one of the countries playing an active role in settling the
Aceh conflict and in initiating the peace accord. So, this time they
(the Finnish delegation) want to know more about situation in this
region," he said.

He said a Finnish special team was expected to arrive in Aceh later
this month to discuss the agenda of President Halonen`s planned visit.

The Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) signed a
peace accord in the Finnish capital Helsinki on August 15, 2005 to put
an end to a three-decade-old conflict that claimed the lives of about
15,000 people. (*) END

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