White House Groups Together Nordic Leaders for State Dinner

Leaders from 5 Nordic nations will visit the White House on Friday.

ByABC News
May 12, 2016, 1:34 PM
A sample table setting is seen during a press preview of a State Dinner in honor of the Nordic countries, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, May 12, 2016.
A sample table setting is seen during a press preview of a State Dinner in honor of the Nordic countries, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, May 12, 2016.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

— -- The White House is lumping together five Nordic leaders for one glamorous State Visit and Dinner on Friday. It’s the 12th official State Visit of Obama’s presidency, but the only five-for-one bargain grouping in recent memory.

Leaders in attendance will include the president of Finland and the prime ministers of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland. Albuquerque native Demi Lovato will be the night’s entertainment.

The lavish State Dinner will take place in a tent on the South Lawn, and includes a main course of Ahi Tuna, Red Wine Braised Short Ribs, and Chicken and Waffles as an appetizer.

The showpiece dessert is a handcrafted fishing boat made of gum paste and chocolate to celebrate the thriving fishing industry between the two countries.

PHOTO: White House pastry chef Susie Morrison holds a dessert featuring a handcrafted fishing boat surrounded by miniature pastries during a press preview of a State Dinner in honor of the Nordic countries, May 12, 2016.
White House pastry chef Susie Morrison holds a dessert featuring a handcrafted fishing boat surrounded by miniature pastries during a press preview of a State Dinner in honor of the Nordic countries, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland, May 12, 2016.

On the agenda for the multilateral meeting are discussions over countering terrorism and violent extremism, combating climate change and addressing the migration and refugee crisis in Europe.