Current Affairs

The 132nd Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will be held in Turin, Italy, on 19–20 May 2022. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be State Secretary Johanna Sumuvuori. The meeting will focus on reaffirming unwavering support to Ukraine and on debate on the future of the organisation.

The Ambassador of Finland and all Finnish citizens employed by the Finnish mission in Kyiv left Ukraine for security reasons in February, when Russia started its military aggression against Ukraine. The security situation in Kyiv has now improved, and Finland’s Ambassador to Ukraine Päivi Laine has returned to her post in Kyiv.

Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation are hosting a delegation from Kosovo on May 19-20 in Helsinki, Finland.

On Tuesday 17 May 2022, the President of the Republic of Finland decided, on the proposal of the Government, to notify the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of Finland’s interest to engage in talks on accession to NATO and appointed a delegation to Finland’s accession talks to be held with NATO and its member countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation notified Ambassador of Finland Antti Helanterä of their decision on 17 May. Russia has announced corresponding measures also regarding several countries that have expelled Russian diplomats.

Finland is preparing to apply for membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). On 15 May, the Government submitted a report to Parliament on Finland’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and proposed that the President of the Republic decide that Finland will apply for membership in NATO after Parliament has been heard.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a fundamental change has taken place in the security and operating environment of Finland and Europe. On Sunday 15 May, the Government adopted the Report on Finland’s Accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On Sunday 15 May, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy finalised a report on Finland’s Accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The report will be submitted to the Government in plenary session today at 17.00, and will be submitted to Parliament once it has been adopted.

Statement by the Foreign Ministries of France, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden

EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on Monday 16 May. State Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Johanna Sumuvuori will represent Finland at the meeting. The Foreign Affairs Council will focus on Russian aggression against Ukraine and on the Western Balkans.

Portugal's minister of foreign affairs João Gomes Cravinho will visit Finland on Friday 13 May and have a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto. Follow the live webcast of the press conference at 16.10.

At the presidential session on Friday 13 May, the President of the Republic appointed a new Ambassador to the Embassy of Finland in Jakarta and a new Head of Mission to the Consulate General in Hong Kong.

Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States

Portugal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs João Gomes Cravinho will visit Finland on 13 May and have a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

Finland focuses on developing a child benefit system in the poorest provinces of Mozambique, as part of the UN Joint Programme. To support the work, a report commissioned by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on social security practices in southern Africa has been completed.

A UN led agreement has been reached to transfer the oil from FSO Safer moored off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea. Funds for the oil transfer operation are collected in a pledging conference in the Hague on 11 May. Finland will support the operation with one million euros.

NATO ministers of foreign affairs will hold an informal meeting in Berlin on 14–15 May. Finland and Sweden have been invited to a working dinner held in connection with the meeting on 14 May. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

Foreign Minister Haavisto's State Secretary Johanna Sumuvuori will attend the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, held in Marrakesh, Morocco, on 11 May.

In line with the Government decision of 5 May, the restrictions on entry at Finland’s external borders will continue until 5 June 2022.

A Twinning project in Azerbaijan, led by Statistics Finland, focusing on Finnish data usage and statistical expertise, was very different from any previous Twinning projects. The project was launched remotely in June 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and it progressed despite the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the new virus variants. The closing event of the project on 11 April 2022 in Baku attracted enormous media attention.