Current Affairs

Russia announced its decision to withdraw from the Barents Euro-Arctic Council on 18 September. The Barents cooperation will now continue between Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and the European Union, as it has continued since the Barents partners condemned Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine in March 2022.

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen delivered the Nordic-Baltic statement at 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on 21 September 2023. The statement was delivered as part of the Interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation.

The floods in Libya and the earthquake in Morocco have killed thousands of people. How is Finland supporting the relief efforts? How will Finland’s assistance reach its destination and why is Finland’s support important? Niklas Saxen, Senior Adviser for Humanitarian Assistance at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Teemu Sepponen, Finland’s Ambassador in Tunis, and Marjaana Sall, Finland’s Ambassador to Morocco, answer these questions.

Finland will make its first country strategy for India. The DESI Initiative will strengthen Finland’s competitive positioning on the Indian market.

The Finnish Government proposes EUR 1.3 billion in appropriations for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Ministry will continue to support Ukraine in 2024, as outlined in the Government programme.

The Finnish Chef Association has published Finnish food recipes (‘Suomiruoka-reseptiikka’) to promote Finland’s country branding and food exports. The recipes will serve Finnish embassies and missions around the world and those organising international meetings and events in Finland. When ready, the material will be freely available to everyone. The material was produced under an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Finland will implement the European Commission’s guidance (FAQ) on prohibiting the import of vehicles registered in Russia.

The high-level meetings of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) will start in New York on Monday 18 September. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will attend ministerial events in New York and have bilateral meetings with their counterparts and with representatives of the UN. Minister Tavio’s programme will also include meetings to promote Finland’s commercial and economic interests in the New York metropolitan area.

Minister of Education Anna-Maja Henriksson will attend a virtual meeting of Ministers for Nordic Cooperation on 13 September. Henriksson is the minister responsible for Nordic cooperation in the current Finnish Government.

The main topics on the meeting agenda will be the World Bank reform process and support to Ukraine. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will represent Finland at the meeting.

On Friday 6 October 2023, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will organise an event where all stakeholders are welcome to come and discuss the project to reform the Act on the Export Control of Dual-Use Items. An export control clinic designed for those who export dual-use items will be organised on the same occasion.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will host Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel in Finland. Live webcast from the press conference can be followed online from 12.15 Finnish time.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold its 54th session from 11 September to 13 October in Geneva, Switzerland.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will host Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mariya Gabriel in Finland.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) will close its office in Helsinki by the end of 2023. The Social Impact Investing Initiative, managed by UNOPS, was discontinued already at the start of the year due to a corruption case.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend a meeting of Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers (NB8), to be held in Latvia 6–7 September.

The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finland Chamber of Commerce will organise an event on Monday 11 September 2023 where Trademark Africa will present its activities and the business opportunities available for Finnish companies.

The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has appointed an internal working group to prepare a reform of the Foreign Service in accordance with the Government Programme. The term of the working group will last from 4 September to December, when the group will submit its final report and recommendations to the ministers of the Foreign Ministry.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will attend the informal meeting of EU development ministers in Cádiz in Spain in 4–5 September.

Turku 1.9.2023 “Politics of the Zeitenwende: The Baltic Sea, Europe and the Transatlantic Alliance”