New Ambassadors

At the presidential session on Friday 8 February, the President of the Republic decided to appoint the following new Ambassadors.

Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Marja Joenusva was appointed to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Alger from 1 June 2019. She will move to Algeria from the post of Deputy Director General of the Protocol Services. Joenusva's career in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Brussels, Paris and Beijing. She has also worked as Consul General in Shanghai. She joined the Foreign Ministry in 1987.

Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Markku Keinänen was appointed to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in London from 1 June 2019. Keinänen is currently Under-Secretary of State for external economic relations. His career in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Madrid, Brussels and London. While in Madrid, Keinänen served as Head of Mission. He joined the Foreign Ministry in 1989.

Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Mika Koskinen was appointed to serve as Head of the Consulate General of Finland in New York from 1 July 2019. Koskinen will transfer to New York from Lima, where he has served as Head of Mission since 2015. His career in the Diplomatic Service includes post in Madrid, Dublin, Paris and The Hague. He joined the Foreign Ministry in 1995.

Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Päivi Laine was appointed to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Kiev from 1 June 2019. Laine will transfer to Kiev from the post of Roving Ambassador for Iraq. She has worked as Deputy Head of Mission in Moscow, Warsaw and Riga as well as in the Embassy of Finland in London. She joined the Foreign Ministry in 1995.

Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Jukka Pietikäinen was appointed to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Lima from 1 July 2019. Pietikäinen is currently Finland's Roving Ambassador for the Caribbean. In the Diplomatic Service, he has held posts in Vienna, Santa Fé de Bogotá, Bern, Madrid and Mexico City. While in Buenos Aires and New York, Pietikäinen served as Head of Mission. He joined the Foreign Ministry in 1984.

Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Anne Sipiläinen was appointed to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Berlin from 1 June 2019. Sipiläinen is currently Under-Secretary of State for foreign and security policy. Previously, she worked as Under-Secretary of State for development cooperation and development policy. While serving as Ambassador in Finland's Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels, Sipiläinen was Finland's representative to the EU’s Political and Security Committee (COPS). She has also worked in Vienna and Berlin. She joined the Foreign Ministry in 1987.

Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Kirsi Vanamo-Santacruz was appointed to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Buenos Aires from 1 July 2019. Vanamo-Santacruz will transfer to Buenos Aires from Paris, where she has been Deputy Head of Mission since 2015. In the Diplomatic Service, she has served in Lisbon, Jakarta and Ankara and in the Permanent Delegation of Finland to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD/UNESCO). She joined the Foreign Ministry in 1996.

Additionally, the President of the Republic authorised Ambassador Pekka Orpana to represent Finland in Micronesia and Palau.

Inquiries: Pirjo Tulokas, Deputy Director General for Personnel, tel. +358 295 351 413