According to xinhuanet.com and peopledaily.com.cn, Olafur Ragnar president of Iceland did not find it difficult to decide if he wanted to attend the Olympic Games in China or not.

“Sports are an important way for countries to enhance understanding and increase exchanges” said Olafur and added “countries will strengthen communication by participating in the Games, which will also give them an opportunity to have a better understanding of the host country”.

Mr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson also pointed out that the best way for countries to enhance mutual understanding is to actively conduct international negotiations, adding that hostility and criticism serve no purpose.
President of China Hu Jintao formally invited Grimsson to attend the event during Grimsson’s visit to China in 2006 and China’s president emphasized his invitation when the two leaders met again last year.

This will be the president’s first formal visit after being sworn for his fourth term as president of Iceland. The Olympics will start on the 08.08.08 next week.

Mr. Olafur Ragnar Grimsson was sworn in for his fourth term as the president of Iceland on the 01.08.2008.

The ceremony started with a church service in the Reykjavik cathedral and the inauguration did take place in the Parliament House, Alþingi.

As usually the president of the Icelandic supreme court delivered the testimony for the next term and was followed by a speech by the President.

The ceremony was attended by the ministers of the Icelandic government, judges of the supreme court, members of the Parliament, ambassadors and high officials as well as the family of the president.

Olafur Ragnar is the fifth president of the republic and was first elected in 1996, assuming office on August 1st that year. He was re-elected in 2000, again in 2004 and now in 2008.

Former presidents are:

Sveinn Björnsson (1944-1952)
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson (1952-1968)
Kristján Eldjárn (1968-1980)
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir (1980-1996)