Current Affairs
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23.5.2025
New heads of mission appointed
At the presidential session on 23 May, the President of the Republic appointed the following persons to serve as heads of missions: Petri Puhakka, Kathmandu; Kirsikka Lehto-Asikainen, Paris; Eija Rotinen, Bogota; Antti Putkonen, Baghdad; Ville Cantell, Reykjavik; Lasse Keisalo, Lima; Katja Ahlfors, Dakar; Teemu Turunen, London; and Stefan Lindström, Houston. In addition, the President of the Republic appointed the Ambassador to Pretoria, Pekka Metso, to serve as non-resident Ambassador to Mauritius.
Press releases -
21.5.2025
State Secretary Rajala to attend meeting of EU and African Union foreign ministers in Brussels
A meeting between EU and African Union (AU) foreign ministers will be held in Brussels on 21 May. State Secretary Pasi Rajala will represent Finland at the meeting. This year marks the 25th anniversary of multilateral relations between the EU and the African Union.
Press releases -
20.5.2025
EU’s 17th sanctions package cracks down on Russia’s shadow fleet
In its 17th sanctions package, the European Union continues to respond to Russia’s ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine, to Russia’s destabilising measures against the EU and third countries and to the deterioration of the domestic human rights situation in the country. A significant number of vessels belonging to the Russia’s shadow fleet were added to the EU sanctions list.
Press releases -
19.5.2025
Joint donor statement on humanitarian aid to Gaza
Whilst we acknowledge indications of a limited restart of aid, Israel blocked humanitarian aid entering Gaza for over two months. Food, medicines and essential supplies are exhausted. The population faces starvation. Gaza’s people must receive the aid they desperately need.
Statements -
19.5.2025
EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and situation in the Middle East
EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on Tuesday 20 May. Political Secretary of State Pasi Rajala will represent Finland at the meeting.
Press releases -
19.5.2025
New Team Finland Executive Group aims for stronger and clearer guidance on export promotion
Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio appointed a new Team Finland Executive Group on 16 May 2025.
Press releases -
16.5.2025
Baltic Sea NATO allies and EU agree on cooperation to protect critical undersea infrastructure
The Baltic Sea NATO allies and the European Union have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding to protect critical undersea infrastructure.
Press releases -
15.5.2025
New development policy investment strategy emphasises mobilisation of private capital
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has adopted a development policy investment strategy for 2025–2027. The strategy guides the use of the appropriation allocated to development policy loans and investments in accordance with the Government Report on International Economic Relations and Development Cooperation. The general terms and conditions for development policy loans and investments are published concurrently with the strategy.
Press releases -
14.5.2025
Minister Valtonen to attend meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States in Estonia
Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend the foreign ministers’ meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in Vihula, Estonia, on 15–16 May.
Press releases -
14.5.2025
EU trade ministers to discuss EU-US trade relations and economic security
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will attend a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in its trade configuration in Brussels on 15 May 2025. The Council will exchange views on the EU’s trade relations with the United States and economic security. The ministers will also discuss the EU’s ongoing trade negotiations.
Press releases -
14.5.2025
Ministry for Foreign Affairs launched a Sanctions e-Service
In the Foreign Ministry's Sanctions e-Service at palvelu.um.fi you can ask about sanctions, submit an application for an authorization, report on the implementation of sanctions and report on the circumvention of sanctions. The service makes it easier for companies, authorities and citizens to approach the Sanctions Unit with sanctions matters. The European Commission has also launched a Sanctions Helpdesk for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Press releases -
14.5.2025
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend informal meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend an informal meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Antalya in Türkiye on 14–15 May.
Press releases -
13.5.2025
Maximum amount of corporate fine to rise due to national implementation of Sanctions Criminalisation Offences Directive
New legislation that enters into force on 20 May 2025 will implement the Sanctions Criminalisation Directive of the European Union in Finland. The purpose of the Directive is to ensure that offences against sanctions are punishable in all EU Member States and that the related national penal provisions meet a common minimum level.
Press releases -
13.5.2025
Minister Tavio to lead trade mission to Singapore and Malaysia
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will make an export promotion visit to Singapore and Malaysia on 19–23 May. The Minister will be accompanied by a delegation of some 30 companies.
Press releases -
12.5.2025
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend UN peacekeeping ministerial meeting
Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin on 13–14 May.
Press releases -
9.5.2025
Invoicing of export control services begins
The new Ministry for Foreign Affairs Decree on Fees for Services Produced by the Foreign Service in 2025 entered into force on 1 January 2025. With the Decree's entry into force, export control services, such as the processing of various authorisations, were made chargeable.
News -
9.5.2025
Foreign Minister Valtonen is visiting Lviv
The EU foreign ministers convened for an informal meeting hosted by High Representative Kaja Kallas and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha in Lviv, Ukraine, on 9 May. A meeting on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine was also held in connection with the foreign ministers’ meeting. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen represented Finland at the meeting in Lviv.
Press releases -
9.5.2025
Request for information to companies concerning trade with the United States
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs requests companies and interest groups to provide their views on the products included in the EU's list of trade countermeasures and information on trade with the United States.
News -
7.5.2025
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Artists at Risk (AR) and City of Helsinki to launch pilot programme to support human rights defenders
During 2025, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Artists at Risk (AR) and the City of Helsinki will implement a pilot programme to provide temporary support and protection to human rights defenders in Finland. The programme will support a three-month temporary stay relocation in Finland.
Press releases -
6.5.2025
Minister for Foreign Affairs Valtonen to participate in informal meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers in Warsaw
The EU Foreign Affairs Ministers will convene at an informal meeting (Gymnich) in Warsaw, Poland on 7–8 May. Poland holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU during the first half of this year, and Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski will host the meeting together with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.
Press releases -
5.5.2025
Secretary-General of International Telecommunications Union to visit Finland at invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne
Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen, Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne and Director General of the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom Jarkko Saarimäki will meet Secretary-General of International Telecommunications Union Doreen Bogdan-Martin in Helsinki on 6 May 2025.
Press releases -
5.5.2025
Foreign Minister Valtonen to speak about European security in Germany
Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Berlin on 5 May to participate in discussions on topical foreign and security policy matters.
Press releases -
30.4.2025
Markus Hippi appointed as Press Counsellor in London
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has appointed Markus Hippi as Press Counsellor at the Embassy of Finland in London from 1 June 2025 to 31 July 2028. Hippi has served as Press Counsellor at the Embassy of Finland in London since 11 July 2023.
Press releases -
28.4.2025
Reminder: Register to export control training
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will organise export control training for companies exporting dual-use items on Friday 9 May 2025. Registration will be open until 2 May.
News -
27.4.2025
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio to lead trade mission to Morocco
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will visit Morocco with a business delegation on 28–30 April 2025.
Press releases -
25.4.2025
International conference in Helsinki sought practical solutions to protect critical underwater infrastructure
A large group of international experts attended a conference held in Helsinki on 23 April 2025 focusing on the protection of critical underwater infrastructure and the threats posed to it by international maritime transport. Co-operation between different authorities is needed to address these wide-ranging threats.
Press releases -
25.4.2025
Finland to open Consulate General in Houston, Texas
On 25 April 2025, President Alexander Stubb approved an amendment to the Decree of the President of the Republic on the Locations of Finland’s Diplomatic Missions. The amendment will establish Finland’s Consulate General in Houston, Texas, in the United States as of 1 July 2025.
Press releases -
25.4.2025
New heads of mission appointed
At the presidential session on 25 April, the President of the Republic appointed the following persons to serve as heads of missions: Okko-Pekka Salmimies, Bern; Pekka Voutilainen, Hanoi; Jukka Siukosaari, Copenhagen; Riina-Riikka Heikka, Nairobi; Olli Kantanen, Stockholm; Eevamari Laaksonen, Pristina; Minna Laajava, Los Angeles.
Press releases -
25.4.2025
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend meeting of Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers in Denmark
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend the NB8 meeting bringing together Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers in Bornholm, Denmark, on 28–29 April. Ministers from Poland, France and Germany will also participate in the meeting.
Press releases -
24.4.2025
Niina Pesonen appointed to serve as Foreign Ministry’s Director General for Human Resources
On Thursday 24 April, the Government appointed Niina Pesonen to serve as Director General for Human Resources of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Press releases -
23.4.2025
Involving young people in peace negotiations — follow the discussion at the World Village Festival
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ programme features a discussion on how to involve young people in peace negotiations. The discussion will take place on the World Village Festival’s Speaker’s Stage at Tiivistämö on 24 May at 13.15. Participants are Cevor Tikerpuu, Finland's Youth Delegate to the UN, and Senior Specialist Laura Hendry from the Foreign Ministry’s Centre for Peace Mediation.
News -
23.4.2025
Foreign students arriving in Finland: how to apply for a residence permit
If you are a citizen of a non-EU country and are not a citizen of a EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you will need a residence permit for studies. Apply for a residence permit in the Enter Finland online service first and then book an appointment for identification. It is advisable to book the appointment as soon as possible, as the missions may be busy during the summer months.
News -
22.4.2025
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf to meet Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen in Helsinki
The Algerian Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, will visit Helsinki on 24 April and meet Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
Press releases -
17.4.2025
Government proposal to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention sent out for comments
Withdrawal from of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, known as the Ottawa Convention, requires a government proposal. Comments on the draft proposal may be given until 16 May 2025.
Press releases -
16.4.2025
Global official development assistance declined in 2024
The official development assistance (ODA) declined in 2024 both in Finland and globally. Ukraine, which is heavily affected by Russia’s war of aggression, is the largest recipient of Finland’s ODA for the third consecutive year.
Press releases -
11.4.2025
EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, situation in the Middle East, the Western Balkans and EU-Africa relations
EU foreign ministers will convene in Luxembourg on 14 April. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.
Press releases -
11.4.2025
5,291 votes cast in county elections and 8,310 in municipal elections at advance polling stations abroad
According to preliminary data, a total of 5,291 votes were cast in advance in the 2025 county elections and 8,310 votes in the municipal elections at Finnish missions abroad. In the dual elections, a total of 180 votes were cast on board Finnish vessels. In the 2022 county elections, 2,923 advance votes were cast, and about a hundred crew members cast their vote on board ships. In the 2021 municipal elections, 2,693 advance votes were cast, and over a hundred crew members voted on board ships.
Press releases -
10.4.2025
Foreign Ministry is seeking candidates for conciliators, arbitrator and alternate for OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is inviting interested candidates to apply for the position of a conciliator and an arbitrator at the Court of Conciliation and Arbitration within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) by 30 April 2025.
News -
10.4.2025
Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen to visit Washington DC
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Washington DC on 10 April 2025. She will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Press releases -
8.4.2025
Finland’s OSCE Chairpersonship emphasises climate security and sustainable development in both words and action
Finland is emphasising climate security and the importance of sustainable development in international diplomacy during its Chairpersonship of the OSCE.
News -
7.4.2025
Finnish-Ukrainian cooperation project to develop the Ukrainian tax administration
A Finnish-Ukrainian cooperation project will improve the transparency and digitalisation of the Ukrainian tax administration and its capacity to manage and implement reforms. The project will also support the fight against corruption and Ukraine's EU accession.
Press releases -
7.4.2025
Nordic governments to explore legal implications of proposed update to Helsinki Treaty
Last autumn, the Nordic Council called on the governments in the region to update the Helsinki Treaty, which governs Nordic cooperation, by adding new areas of cooperation and examining the contractual status of Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.
Press releases -
7.4.2025
Trade ministers to discuss EU’s trade relations with United States and China
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will attend an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, in its trade configuration, in Luxembourg on 7 April 2025. The meeting will focus on the EU’s trade relations with the United States and China.
Press releases -
4.4.2025
Foreign Minister Valtonen to visit Sweden
Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard in Stockholm on 8 April.
Press releases -
4.4.2025
Finland grants humanitarian aid to Myanmar
Finland provides humanitarian assistance to Myanmar. The damage caused by the recent severe earthquake in Myanmar exacerbates the already challenging humanitarian situation.
Press releases -
4.4.2025
Export control training on export of dual-use items
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will organise export control training for companies exporting dual-use items on Friday 9 May 2025.
News -
3.4.2025
European Court of Human Rights declares inadmissible an application concerning assessment of evidence in criminal proceedings
On 3 April 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) issued its decision in a case brought against Finland on the basis of Article 6 (right to a fair trial) of the European Convention on Human Rights. In the decision, the ECtHR, unanimously, declared the application inadmissible.
Press releases -
2.4.2025
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend a meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Brussels on 3–4 April.
Press releases -
2.4.2025
Opening speech by Minister Tavio at the the Least Developed Countries Future Forum
Opening Statement, LDC Future Forum 1 April 2025, Lusaka, Zambia Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio
Speeches -
1.4.2025
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Discrimination appointed
Finland holds the Chairpersonship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in 2025. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen has appointed Prof. Dr Wolfgang Palaver as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Discrimination.
News