The President of the Republic of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, has attended the meeting of the "Arraiolos" Presidents Group "United for Europe" that has taken place on the 10th and 11th of February 2012 in Helsinki.
The Arraiolos Group, named after the Portuguese village where it first met in 2003, includes the Heads of State of nine European countries: Austria, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia. The three following subjects were included within Helsinki's agenda: "The Strengths of Europe in a Global World"; "Neighbour Relations in The South With Particular Focus on The Situation in Northern Africa"; "Tolerance and The Prevention of Discrimination".
In addition to the working sessions at the Kalastajatorppa Hotel, the programme of the Presidents included a dinner at the Presidential Palace and a cruise aboard icebreaker Urho. The presidents' spouses also took part in the meeting with a programme of their own. The spouses' programme included an introduction to Helsinki's year as World Design Capital and visits to the Helsinki Music Centre and the Gallen-Kallela Museum.
This meeting has also been an occasion for the President of the Republic of Finland, Mrs. Tarja Halonen, to bid farewell to her colleagues at the end of her second presidential term since the new President of the Republic of Finland will take up his duties on March 1st, 2012. During the luncheon at the Presidential Palace, President Napolitano met President elected, Sauli Niinistö.
Helsinki's meeting of the Arraiolos Group was attended also by the Head of States of Austria, Federal Republic of Germany, Latvia, Portugal, Slovenia and Hungary.
President Giorgio Napolitano visited Helsinki in 2008 and hosted President Tarja Halonen in Italy in September 2010 and in 2011 on the occasion of the celebration of the 150. anniversary of Italy's Unification.