News, 29.4.2004

Kirsti Lintonen appointed UN Ambassador and other appointments of Ambassadors

Kirsti Lintonen The President of the Republic has appointed Finland's Ambassador to Pretoria Kirsti Lintonen Director of the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations with effect from 1 February 2005. Lintonen came to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1971 and has served in the Finnish Embassies in Brussels, Berlin, Belgrad, London and Stockoholm and as Ambassador to Windhoek, Namibia. In the Ministry for Foreign Affairs she has worked at the Department for Development Policy, the Department for External Economic Relations and the Political Department i.a. as Deputy Director General and Under-Secretary of State responsible for External Economic Relations. Between 1983-87 Lintonen served as Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. She has been Finland's Ambassador to South Africa since 2000.

Heikki Tuunanen Finland's Ambassador to Bangkok Heikki Tuunanen will transfer to Pretoria as an Ambassador in the beginning of February 2005. Counsellor of Development Policy Heikki Tuunanen came to the Foreign Ministry in 1975 and has served in the Finnish Missions in Nairobi and Harare and in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs at the Department for Development Policy and the Division for Africa and the Middle East. He has been Finland's Ambassador to Thailand since 2000.

Risto Rekola Finland's Ambassador to Abu Dhabi Risto Rekola will transfer to Singapore as an Ambassador as from 1 August 2004. Rekola, who came to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1969, has served in the Finnish Embassies in Berlin, Addis Abeba and Paris and as Ambassador to Lusaka and Bogota. At the Ministry he has worked at the Political Department and the Department for External Economic Relations. He has been Finland's Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates in Abu Dhabi since 2000.

Lars Backström Counsellor of Foreign Affairs Lars Backström was appointed Ambassador to Bangkok with effect from 1 February 2005. Backström, who came to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1982, has served in the Finnish Embassies in Mexico City, Ankara and Lagos, the Mission to the UN in New York and the Mission to the EU in Brussels. At the Ministry he has worked at the Political Department and since 1997 as Director of the Unit for Humanitarian Aid.