Press releases

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will meet Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau in Helsinki on 1 July.

Through the Foreign Ministry’s funding for development cooperation Finnish CSOs and their partners promote poverty eradication, reduction of inequality and the fulfilment of human rights. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has awarded approximately EUR 21 million in discretionary government grants for Finnish CSOs’ development cooperation projects in 2023–2026.

Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality, Thomas Blomqvist, will attend a meeting of the Ministers for Nordic Cooperation in Halden, Norway, on 27–28 June. One of the main topics of the meeting will be Nordic cooperation in times of crisis with a particular focus on the role of the ministers for Nordic cooperation in ensuring the exchange of information between the countries. At the meeting, ministers will adopt a joint declaration on cooperation during crises.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will attend Nordic foreign ministers’ meeting in N5 format in Norway on 27 June.

The international community supports the sustainability and operational capacity of Ukraine’s public sector in the midst of the war through the World Bank’s FREE Ukraine Multi-Donor Trust Fund. Following Russia’s aggression in February 2022, Finland has granted EUR 21 million in additional funding for development cooperation and humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will participate in a high-level panel discussion to be held in connection with the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in Strasbourg. Minister Haavisto will have also bilateral meetings.

EU foreign ministers will convene in Luxembourg on Monday 20 June. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will represent Finland at the meeting. The main themes on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council will be the Horn of Africa, EU relations with Egypt and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Ministers will also have a discussion on the Persian Gulf.

Executive Secretary Robert Floyd of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is visiting Finland from 15 to 17 June at the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto. The will includes a tour of Finland’s CTBTO monitoring network.

On 14–16 June 2022, Finland will serve for the second time in succession as president of the session of the Conference of States Parties (COSP) to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Representatives from more than 180 countries are expected to attend the conference in New York. A large number of representatives of civil society organisations and UN agencies, dedicated to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, will also attend the conference. The Finnish delegation will be led by Permanent State Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Jukka Salovaara.

The Fifth National Dialogues Conference (NDC) will bring about 120 peace mediation experts from 30 different countries to Helsinki on 15–16 June. On the two days, the conference will focus on the significance and challenges of national dialogues in the changing world. Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto will open the conference and participate in the opening panel discussion.

On 13 June 2022, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) adopted an opinion on a matter concerning the right to be included in the electoral roll in Sámi parliamentary elections.

Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will visit New York and Washington DC on 14–17 June 2022. The matters on the agenda of discussions during the visit will include questions relating to UN specialised agencies focusing on development, the security situation in Europe, and commercial cooperation between the two countries, especially in the forest sector.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold its 50th regular session from 13 June to 8 July 2022. It is the UN’s most important intergovernmental body protecting and promoting human rights.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will host a Nordic-African Foreign Ministers' Meeting on 13–15 June. In addition to the Nordic foreign ministers, 25 African foreign ministers have been invited to the meeting.

The working group appointed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs presents proposals concerning the amendment of the Act on the Making of Decisions Concerning the Provision of and Request for International Assistance. The working group proposes that the Act be amended so that its scope of application would cover not only international assistance but also activities arising from Finland's national needs without an outside request. This would involve a Finnish authority acting outside the territory of Finland, but within the restrictions of international law, either independently or in support of another Finnish authority.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will meet Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney in Helsinki on 7 June.

The European Union (EU) published a new package of sanctions on 3 June 2022. The new sanctions prohibit the import of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia.

Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will visit Turkey on 6–8 June.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will organise a thisisFINLAND Foreign Correspondents’ Programme (FCP) from 5 to 11 June 2022. The programme will give 13 young foreign correspondents and media professionals an opportunity to learn about Finland and the Finnish society.

Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will attend a meeting of EU trade ministers (Foreign Affairs Council) in Luxembourg on Friday 3 June 2022. The agenda items will include preparations for the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference as well as the trade relations between the EU and the United States and between the EU and China. The ministers will also exchange views on the EU’s ongoing trade agreement negotiations and the implementation of the agreements.

A new fast track service enables specialists, growth entrepreneurs and their family members to obtain a residence permit within 14 days. The service will be launched at the beginning of June. This service pledge is one of the Government's many measures to streamline the immigration of experts.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavský will visit Finland on Thursday 2 June and have a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

Senior officials responsible for Barents cooperation in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and the EU will meet in Kuusamo, Finland, on 30–31 May. Ambassador Jari Vilén will lead the discussion on the next steps during Finland’s Presidency of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC).

In line with the Government Programme, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will continue to expand and strengthen its network of missions. The Finnish Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, which was closed in 2012 due to the reduction of the network of missions, will be reopened in the autumn. Finland will also open a new Consulate General in Mumbai, India.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will visit Washington DC on 25–27 May. He will meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and speak with representatives of the US administration and Congress. In addition, Minister Haavisto will discuss Finland’s views on transatlantic security at an event held at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which is a non-profit policy research organisation focusing on security policy.

Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine Oleksiy Chernyshov is visiting Finland on 24–25 May.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on 22–26 May. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place in February but, due to the difficult COVID-19 situation, it was postponed until May.

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.

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.

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

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.

Europe Day is celebrated on 9 May. This year, the main event will be held at Helsinki Central Library Oodi and the programme can be viewed online. The programme includes a wide range of topical discussions on the future of Finland and Europe. As part of the programme, Europe Information of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will organise an open event entitled “European security in transition – the direction of the European Union”.

On 5 May 2022, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior will hold an invitational discussion on Finland’s priorities and objectives for developing the EU’s civilian crisis management and on our national capabilities for comprehensive crisis management.

President of the European Court of Human Rights Robert Spano will visit Finland on 5–6 May.

Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will visit Italy on 2–5 May.

Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde will visit Finland on Friday 29 April and have a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

The Security Committee has granted its 2021 Timanttiteko (Diamond Act) award to the Foreign Ministry’s AI-assisted data analytics experiment. According to the Security Committee, the project has been exemplary in implementing the objectives of the Security Strategy for Society.

Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality Thomas Blomqvist will attend a meeting of Ministers for Nordic Cooperation on 26 April. The meeting will be held virtually. The main topics will be the Nordic Council of Ministers cooperation with neighbouring regions in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Nordic cooperation in times of crisis and the dialogue between the Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Council for developing the Council of Ministers budget.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will meet Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares in Helsinki on 27 April.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), headquartered in Copenhagen, has informed the Ministry for Foreign Affairs that an internal investigation has been initiated into possible misconduct by the Chief Executive of UNOPS Sustainable Investments in Infrastructure and Innovation (S3i) initiative.

On Wednesday 13 April, the Government adopted a report on changes in the security environment and submitted it to Parliament for consideration. The report assesses fundamental changes in Finland's foreign and security policy environment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The report does not include any conclusions or present new security policy guidelines.

The war in Ukraine increases hunger and malnutrition in other parts of the world. Finland allocates EUR 26.1 million to domestic and international organisations for their humanitarian response in countries such as Somalia, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.