Farewell Reception for Consul General of Finland in New York Ambassador Manu Virtamo

On June 4, 2019, the Consul General, Ambassador Manu Virtamo, and his wife Liisa, hosted a Farewell Reception at his residence in New York City. He will be returning to Helsinki from New York, which will be his last foreign post before retiring. He commented in his remarks that it is difficult to leave colleagues and friends he has met while here, which is the problem all diplomats have when they change posts.  

Representatives from many of the Finnish and Finnish American community and business groups were present for the occasion. Prior to the buffet, Ambassador Manu Virtamo introduced to the approximate thirty people attending, the new Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations, Jukka Salovaara. Ambassador Salovaara is transferring from Helsinki where he was Director General for Political Affairs in Finland’s Foreign Ministry since 2015.  

In the picture are attorneys from the Finnish American Lawyers Association (FALA) with Ambassador Manu Virtamo and Ambassador Permanent Representative Jukka Salovaara. From right to left, as you look at the picture, are the following: Ambassador Manu Virtamo; Ambassador Jukka Salovaara; Robert Alan Saasto, Esq., President of FALA; Michael Student, Esq., attorney in the NYC office of Sullivan & Worchester LLP, NYC; and Neal Beaton, attorney with Holland & Knight, NYC

The event was a perfect opportunity for the Finnish and Finnish American community and  business representatives to say farewell to Ambassador Virtamo and to meet and greet Jukka Salovaara, the new Ambassador from Finland to the United Nations, in an informal and festive gathering.

Robert Alan Saasto, Esq.