Luxembourg Welcomes Finnish President Alexander Stubb for State Visit

On Tuesday 29 September 2026, President of Finland Alexander Stubb and his wife Suzanne Innes-Stubb began a two-day state visit to Luxembourg, opening it with an official welcoming ceremony outside the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg-Ville.

In the morning, ahead of the arrival of the presidential and Grand Ducal couples, Luxembourg government and institutional representatives entered the ceremonial area accompanied by members of the Luxembourg Army and took their places along one side of the red carpet as the Military Band opened the ceremony.

Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stéphanie then left the palace on foot alongside President Stubb and Suzanne Innes-Stubb, as the Military Band performed the Wilhelmus. 

The Military Band continued by performing the Finnish and Luxembourg national anthems, followed by military honours. President Stubb then reviewed the guard of honour, briefly stopping to salute the Luxembourg Army flag, while a 21-gun salute marked the occasion.

The ceremony was attended by a broad representation of Luxembourg's government and institutions, alongside members of the diplomatic corps, judiciary, armed forces and police. The Finnish delegation included Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand, Permanent State Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Tuomas Tapio and Finland's non-resident Ambassador to Luxembourg Jouko Leinonen, among other officials.

The Grand Ducal and presidential couples greeted the assembled representatives before the ceremony concluded with the raising of the Finnish flag above the palace.

The ceremony concluded with the raising of the Finnish flag above the palace, before the presidential and Grand Ducal couples moved inside for the next part of the official programme. President Stubb signed the guest book, after which the two couples exchanged gifts and decorations before holding a meeting.

The visit then continued with a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Monument of Luxembourg Solidarity, followed by separate engagements for the presidential couple. President Stubb held meetings at the Grand Ducal Palace with President of the Chamber of Deputies Claude Wiseler; Prime Minister Luc Frieden; and Deputy Prime Minister, Luxembourg’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Xavier Bettel, before a private lunch hosted by the Grand Ducal couple.

In the afternoon, President Stubb and Suzanne Innes-Stubb joined the Grand Ducal couple at Luxembourg City Hall for an academic session hosted by Mayor of the City of Luxembourg (VdL) Lydie Polfer.

During his address President Stubb recalled his personal connection to Luxembourg, where he previously lived for three years while working at the European Investment Bank (EIB). He said returning to the country felt “like coming home”.

Turning to relations between Finland and Luxembourg, President Stubb highlighted three areas of common ground between the two countries. He said: “First, our ability to transform. Second, our commitment to Europe and multilateral cooperation. And third, the human connections that bind our countries together.”

The programme later took President Stubb to the EIB and the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU), before a gala dinner at the Grand Ducal Palace in the evening.

The state visit is set to continue on Wednesday 30 September 2026.