I write this letter to prevent any possibly harmful misunderstanding caused by your hosts´ public statement, trying to explain my absence from events during your official visit to Iceland.
Your hosts publicly claimed that I did not accept their invitation. This is wrong and cannot be allowed to stand. Because this implies that I am – for whatever reason – displeased by you visit, or even that I was protesting against it.
I assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. Like all my compatriots I welcome your visit and applaude our friendly relation.
The explanation for my absence during your visit is a simple one. I did not know of your visit beforehand andwas not invited to attend. Nowhere in the program was my presence required. Not even at Höfdi-House, where we – 31 years ago – reasserted our recognition of your reclaimed independence and established diplomatic, relations in the presence of your foreign ministers at the time: Meri, Jurkans and Saudargas.
As for attending our president´s lecture at the University Auditorium, the invitation to attend simply came too late, since I was abroad.
I hope that that I have- by this letter – prevented any potencial harmful misunderstanding between us.
Sincerely yours,
Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson