Current Affairs

Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt will pay her first visit to Finland on Wednesday 26 January and have a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

The 2022 Winter Olympics will be held on 4–20 February 2022 and the Paralympic Games on 4–13 March 2022 in Beijing, China. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, participation in the Beijing 2022 Games is strictly restricted. The COVID-19 situation means that audience participation in the Beijing 2022 Games is limited to invited guests from continental China. Athletes, official guests and media representatives must comply with COVID-19 countermeasures required by the sending countries and, in particular, the host country China.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs opens call for proposals for project support for Finnish CSOs’ development cooperation projects for 2023–2026. The application period is open from 24 January to 4 March 2022. Provisionally, approximately EUR 21 million will be allocated during this application round for use in 2023–2026.

The COVID-19 pandemic remains a major global risk to travel safety, and the situation may deteriorate quickly and unpredictably in any country or region. Travellers may find that access to healthcare is limited or face quarantine orders or restrictions on movement outdoors.

There is great demand for Finnish expertise in the field of the rule of law around the world. The Rule of Law Centre, established jointly by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the University of Helsinki, supports the implementation of democracy, the rule of law and human rights in developing countries.

At the presidential session on Friday 14 January, the President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Pekka Voutilainen to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Qatar.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has launched an intersectoral Virtual Finland project to promote Finland’s digital competitiveness.

The Department for Communications of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is carrying out projects that encourage young people in Iraq and Afghanistan to promote peace and reconciliation. Hundreds of young people express their interest in participating in peace work through the projects annually. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs launched the Support Afghanistan Livelihoods and Mobility project called Salam in 2019 and commissioned Måndag to implement the project.

According to the Government Report on Human Rights Policy, Finland emphasises the rights of the Roma in its European human rights activities. Finland has long been a high-profile political and financial supporter of Roma activities in European intergovernmental organisations.

In his blog post, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto commemorates the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The Government decided to reintroduce internal border control at Finland’s borders starting on Tuesday 28 December. The Government decided on the new restrictions at its session on 28 December. The decision will remain in force until 16 January 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected tourism in many ways, and even experienced travellers may encounter unexpected situations. We recommend that you plan and find out about matters in advance to make sure that your journey proceeds as planned. The Consular Services of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs approaches travellers in a letter with a number of tips on how to cope in various situations.

A tragic accident in Abdirizak Warsame Ahmed’s childhood caused him to lose both of his hands. Instead of being discouraged, he turned the accident into a resource. The boy with no hands grew up to be a man who now lives in Mogadishu and travels around Somalia spreading the message of hope and peace. Ahmed is a participant in the Foreign Ministry’s pro-peace communication project.

In line with the Government decision of 16 December, the restrictions on entry at Finland’s external borders will continue and health security measures will be tightened as of 20 December. The decision will remain in force until 16 January 2022

Finland has chaired the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) in 2021. The Chairship culminated in a Ministerial Meeting on the state and future of an open and safe internet in December, hosted by Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

The province of Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique has been under attack by Islamic insurgents for more than four years. Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen, Ambassador of Finland to Mozambique, explains what is happening in Cabo Delgado and why it is important for Finland to participate in the EU training mission.

The Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument (TAIEX) funded by the European Union celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. In Finland, the milestone was marked by a publication and a seminar.

In the lead-up to Christmas 2021, Santa and Mrs Claus have confirmed that the distribution of presents will go ahead as planned, and that the delivery route includes all locations around the globe, regardless of the coronavirus situation.

Finland decided on the procurement of its next fighter aircraft on 10 December 2021. The industrial participation related to the procurement will create significant technological competence for the Finnish industry.