Above: MG Pekka Toveri and IWP SVP Chris Glass
On June 4, Senior Vice President Chris Glass represented IWP at a reception to honor the Armed Forces of Finland. The reception, hosted by Ambassador of Finland Kirsti Kauppi and Mrs. Siobhan Toveri, took place at the Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C.
In 2018, General Pekka Toveri summarized the significance of Flag Day: “Ladies and Gentlemen. Finnish Defence Forces are 100-year-young force, which is currently in a great condition and fully capable to fulfill all its tasks. We are also mature enough to acknowledge, that even if we are great, together with our foreign partners and friends we are even greater. This cooperation is crucial especially today when we face a very volatile and unstable security situation in Europe and around the world. I’d like to raise a toast to the Finnish Defence Forces and our great partners and friends.” He also noted: “Our most important partners in this cooperation are the United States, Sweden, our Nordic neighbors plus other EU and NATO-countries.”
Recently assuming command May 1, 2019 as Director of Defense Intelligence of Finland, Major General Toveri has been a friend and frequent visitor and guest lecturer at the Institute. On April 12, 2018, he gave a talk at IWP entitled “Finland: The Most Capable Defence Force in Northern Europe.”
The students, faculty, and staff of The Institute of World Politics wish him and his wife all success with his new command in Finland and look forward to seeing and hosting him again soon at the Institute.