New Ambassadors to Beirut and Lusaka and Roving Ambassador to South Asia

At the presidential session on Friday 29 April, the President of the Republic appointed three new Ambassadors.

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Anne Meskanen to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Beirut, starting on 1 September 2022. Meskanen will transfer to Lebanon from her post as Head of Mission a.i. at the European Union Advisory Mission in Iraq. She worked as Ambassador for Equality Issues at the Ministry in 2017–2018 and as Finland’s Ambassador in Kabul in 2015–2017. From 2011 to 2015, she served as Head of Mission at the Finnish Embassy in Pristina. Her experience of work in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Damascus, the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN in New York, and Bucharest. Meskanen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1996. She holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences.

Anne Meskanen

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Saana Halinen to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Lusaka, starting on 1 September 2022. Halinen will move to Zambia from the post of Director of the Unit for Sectoral Policy, which she has held since 2016. Before that, she worked as Editor-in-Chief of Kauppapolitiikka magazine in 2015–2016. Halinen served as Deputy Head of Mission in Maputo for three years, starting in 2012. Her experience of work in the Diplomatic Service also includes a post in Dar es Salaam in 2005–2007. Halinen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2004. She holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences.

Saana Halinen
Hannu Ripatti

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Hannu Ripatti to serve as Roving Ambassador for Bhutan and Maldives, starting on 2 May 2022. Ripatti has worked at the Unit for the Middle East since 2019. Before that, he served as Finland’s Ambassador in Kabul in 2017–2019 and as Chargé d’Affaires a.i in Bogotá in 2013–2017. His experience of work in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Madrid, Beijing, Lagos, Copenhagen and Mexico. Ripatti joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1987. He holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences.

In addition, Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Ilkka Räisänen, Roving Ambassador based at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, was authorised to represent Finland also in Tadžikistan.

Inquiries:

Kirsti Pohjankukka, Deputy Director General for Human Resources, tel. +358 29 535 0038