Finnish Chief of Defence is awarded the Order of the Polar Star
On Friday 17 September, the Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces General Timo Kivinen was awarded the rank of Knight Commander with Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star.
The King and General Timo Kivinen, who received the Order of the Polar Star during the ceremony at the Royal Palace. Photo: Sara Friberg/The Royal Court of Sweden
General Kivinen was awarded the Order of the Polar Star with the following motivation:
In both his current role as Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces and his previous role as Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, General Timo Kivinen has contributed towards a very significant positive development in Finnish-Swedish defence cooperation.
The Chancery of the Royal Swedish Orders
The Order of the Polar Star. Photo: Sara Friberg/The Royal Court of Sweden
The Royal Order of the Polar Star was established in 1748 by King Fredrik I. Its highest rank is Knight Commander with Grand Cross.
The King confers orders on foreign citizens following proposals from the Swedish Government.