Helsinki: Finland’s 69-year old president, Sauli Niinisto, and his 40-year-old wife Jenni Haukio are expecting a baby, the president’s office said on Monday.

‘We have been hoping for a child for a long time and have experienced many difficulties over those years. There have therefore been delicate issues related to the early days of the pregnancy, but we are able to share the news now,’ the couple said in a statement.

Niinisto’s office said the baby was due in February 2018, around the same time that he will run for re-election to another six-year term. Polls indicate he is the clear frontrunner.

The couple were married in 2009. The child is Haukio’s first and Niinisto’s third.