Finnish president to travel to Beijing to attend Olympic Games

HELSINKI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Finnish President Tarja Halonen plans to travel to Beijing to watch the Olympic Games this summer, the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper reported on Monday.

Halonen would not attend the Games' opening ceremony but would be in Beijing for the second week of the games, and the decision was not political, the newspaper quoted the president's office as saying.

Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said he would attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games in an interview a week ago with Finnish broadcasting company YLE.

Halonen and Vanhanen agreed on their participation in the Olympics months ago and would watch the games as invited guests of the Finnish Olympic Committee, the president's office said.

Culture and Sports Minister Stefan Wallin said in parliament on Thursday that he would travel to Beijing on Aug. 15.

Former Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva would attend the games as vice president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, Helsingin Sanomat said.