SOCIETY 377

Finland:
National Day
103 years of
Independence
Qatar:
National Day
Reception at
Viennese Palais
Palestine:
National Day and
UN-Day of
Solidarity
To celebrate the Independence Day of
Finland, the Ambassador and Permanent
Representative to the International
Organizations in Vienna, H.E. Pirkko
Hämäläinen, together with her spouse
Juha Niemelä, invited to a reception at
her residence. Finland became independent
on December 6, 1917, which
is celebrated annually with balls and
concerts, the raising of the Finnish flag
and a religious service at the Helsinki
Cathedral.
On the occasion of the National Day of
the State of Qatar, H.E. Sultan Salmeen
Almansouri, Ambassador of Qatar to
Austria and Permanent Representative
to the UN and International Organizations
in Vienna, invited to a reception
at the Palais Niederösterreich. The
National Day of Qatar, which is also
known as Founder‘s Day, is celebrated
annually since 2007, on December 18, as
a commemoration of Qatar’s unification
in 1878.
On the occasion of the National Day of
Palestine and of the UN-International
Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian
People, taking place annually on November
29 since 1977, the Ambassador of
Palestine to Austria and Permanent Observer
to the United Nations and other
International Organizations in Vienna,
H.E. Salahaldin Abdel Shafi invited to a
reception at the Diplomatic Academy,
which was attended by many international
guests.
H.E. Pirkko Hämäläinen and her Embassy staff at the
receiving line of the residence of Finland in Vienna
H.E. Ambassador Sultan Salmeen Almansouri and
his staff, welcoming their guests at Palais Niederösterreich
Mostafa Abdalla Aly, H.E. Baker Fattah Hussen (Iraq)
and H.E. Yousuf Ahmed Hamed Al Jabri (Oman)
Photos: SOCIETY/Pobaschnig, SOCIETY/Karakan, SOCIETY/Felbermayr
Gerti Tauchhammer shaking hands with the Ambassador
of Finland, H.E. Pirkko Hämäläinen
H.E. Roland Bimo (Albania), H.E. Trevor Traina (USA),
Robert Marschik, H.E. Vesna Cvjetkovic (Croatia) and
Klaus Wölfer
Former Austrian President Dr. Heinz Fischer, H.E.
Sultan Salmeen Almansouri and H.E. Ibrahim Assaf
(Lebanon)
SOCIETY-Publisher Gertrud Tauchhammer shaking
hands with H.E. Sultan Salmeen Almansouri
H.E. Salahaldin Abdel Shafi and H.E. Yousuf Hamed
Al Jabri at the reception at the Diplomatische
Akademie
H.E. Abdel Shafi and H.E. Baker Fattah Hussen posing
for a picture in front of the Palestinian flag