Urho Kekkonen idässä ja lännessä

Urho Kekkonen idässä ja lännessä
Eino S. Repo (ed.), Leena Ilmari
Lehmus, 1962

The visits to the Soviet Union, in 1958, in 1960 and in 1961, the visit to England in 1961, the visit to Sweden in 1956, the visit to Denmark in 1957, the visit to Norway in 1961, the visit to Iceland in 1957, the visit to Austria in 1961, the visits to Canada and The United States in 1961. This book describes President Urho Kekkonen’s official visits around the world.

“No visitor could be more welcome”, with these words President John F. Kennedy greeted President Urho Kekkonen 16.10.1961 at the Andrews Air Force Base. The visit started in Washington and continued to New York. The autumn was most beautiful in New York and the movie theatres on Broadway showed Finland-themed short movies in honour of the guest.  In NY Urho Kekkonen held a speech at the Headquarters of the United Nations. The visit went on 22.10 to Detroit and after that to Minnesota, where Finnish-Americans welcomed him. After a short San Fransico –stop the visit went on to Hawaiji and from there to Los Angeles before heading off to Finland 2.11. In his last speech in Los Angeles Kekkonen said he wished that Finland was better understood now in the United States than before his visit.

The writers of this book also state that because of the official visits that Kekkonen made, the Finnish policy of neutrality is recognized both in the East and in the West.