Thousands honour Finland ex-president Koivisto before burial

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Honorary medals and wreaths are placed by the coffin of the late Finnish President Mauno Koivisto draped with the state flag of Finland at the Helsinki Cathedral in Helsinki before the state funeral Thursday, May 25, 2017. Koivisto, Finland\'s last president during the Cold War who led the Nordic nation out of the shadow of its huge eastern neighbor, the Soviet Union, and into the European Union, died on May 12, at the age of 93. (Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva via AP)

HELSINKI – Tens of thousands of Finns have lined the roads in central Helsinki to honour former President Mauno Koivisto as his coffin was borne from the Helsinki Cathedral to the city’s main cemetery.

Koivisto, a World War II veteran who served two six-year terms as Finland’s president between 1982 and 1994, was buried with full military honours on Thursday.

He died in Helsinki on May 12 at age 93 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

Police estimated that more than 30,000 people watched the funeral procession. About 500 invited guests and members of the diplomatic corps attended the state funeral service.

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Abbey Westbury

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