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Mauno koivisto12/27/2023 In 1990, he hosted Bush and Gorbachev at a U.S.-Soviet Summit in Helsinki.Įarlier, he reportedly also had a good rapport with former U.S. Bush with whom he regularly exchanged views on developments in the crumbling and rapidly changing Soviet Union. His second term in 1988-1994 was crucial in cementing the Nordic nation’s neutral status until the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 - a great concern for Finland that shares a 1,340-kilometer (800-mile) border with Russia.Ī fluent Russian-speaker, Koivisto developed a particular bond with the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev but also stayed in close contact with U.S. ![]() Koivisto was seen as ushering in a new, freer era, changing the face of the country by reducing the powers of the head of state and strengthening the role of Parliament.Ībove all, he was recognized for his foreign policy skills with a fine balancing act of maintaining the small country’s good relations with the West - particularly with the United States - and the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War years. ![]() His down-to-earth manner and dry humor, often laced with sarcasm and philosophical pondering, won him the heart of the nation but also brought political opponents.įor most Finns, his presidency marked the end of the long reign of predecessor Urho Kekkonen, who had ruled Finland with an iron grip for 25 years until his resignation in 1981. Koivisto served two six-year terms between 19, enjoying great popularity among ordinary Finns.
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