106th anniversary of Finland’s independence in Rio de Janeiro

Last Friday, 1st of December, the Honorary Consul General of Finland and Finncham Brazil’s CEO, Sergio Chamone, his wife and the Ambassador of Finland, H.E. Johanna Karanko welcomed guests for the 106th anniversary of Finland’s independence.

It was a memorable reception attended by civil and military authorities, the consular corps, the Finnish business community and friends of Finland.

In her speech, Ambassador Johanna Karanko mentioned the current geopolitical situation, the strategic relevance of Finland and Europe’s support for Ukraine, President Sauli Niinisto’s visit to Brazil and the great opportunities for bilateral cooperation. Honorary Consul General Sérgio Chamone reflected on the importance of nations charting their own destinies and realizing their aspirations in peace. And when quoting freely, Rui Barbosa’s famous phrase he emphasized the importance of the readiness of the armed forces.

Still in his speech, he celebrated important events in the year such as Finland’s entry into NATO and 10 Finnish companies in the Naval Cluster as well as Finland’s selection as the happiest country in the world in the WHR, for the 6th consecutive year.

The Consul thanked the sponsors: ICEYE, Nokia, Vaisala | Hobeco and Wartsila, global leaders in their respective markets, contribute to the security of Finland and its allies with state of the art technology for civil and military applications. He reiterated that Brazil and Finland share democratic and peaceful ideals and should therefore join forces. He also reported his participation in the “Team Finland Day in Helsinki on August / 23” event during which more than 100 companies showed interest in entering Brazil.

After the speeches, the Penedo Folklore Group presented typical Finnish dances and invited the public to dance!

A toast to Finland and Brazil!