Finland to Join ESO

Finland will become the eleventh member state of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) [1].

Today, during a ceremony at the ESO Headquarters in Garching (Germany), a corresponding Agreement was signed by the Finnish Minister of Education and Science, Ms. Tuula Haatainen and the ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, in the presence of other high officials from Finland and the ESO member states.

Following subsequent ratification by the Finnish Parliament of the ESO Convention and the associated protocols, it is foreseen that Finland will formally join ESO on July 1, 2004.

ESO Press Video eso0403 shows some scenes from the ceremony that took place on February 9, 2004, at the ESO Headquarters in Garching (Germany). The ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, and the Finnish Minister of Education and Science, Ms. Tuula Haatainen, signed the Agreement between the Finnish Government and ESO about the future accession of Finland to the ESO Convention.