New ambassadors to Belgium, Mozambique and Vietnam
The President of the Republic has designated on 16 March the following persons as ambassadors:
Ambassador Aapo Pölhö to serve as Head of the Finnish Embassy and as Head of the Mission of Finland to Nato in Brussels, Belgium, as from 1
September 2007.
Pölhö joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1976. Since 2004 until today, he has been Director General of the Department for Africa and the Middle East. Pölhö has served in the Political Department of the Ministry as Director of the Security Unit and Deputy Director and Deputy Director General of the Unit for Security Policy and the Unit for Arms Control. In the Finnish diplomatic service, Pölhö has held postings in the Finnish missions in Iraq, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland and the United States of America, and served as the Finnish Ambassador in Egypt and Sudan.
Alanko joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1985. He has served in the Department for International Development Cooperation and the Division for Africa and the Middle East. From 1998 to 2002, Alanko was Director for the Unit for Southern Africa. Alanko's career in the Finnish diplomatic service comprises postings in Tanzania and Namibia. Since 2002, he has served as Head of the Finnish Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam. Prior to his career in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Alanko worked, among other things, as Associate Expert to the UNESCO Regional Office for Science and Technology for Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.
Hyvönen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1986. He has held various positions in the Legal and Political Departments and the Department for the Americas and Asia. Since 2000, he has been Director of the Unit for Consular Services of the Legal Department. Hyvönen's career in the Finnish diplomatic service comprises postings in France, Iran, Australia and the Finnish Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France.