Press releases
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18.9.2026
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos to visit Helsinki
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos will visit Helsinki on Friday 18 September and meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
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16.9.2026
Ministers Valtonen and Tavio to attend high-level week of UN General Assembly in New York
The high-level meetings of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81) will begin in New York on 21 September. Finland’s delegation will be led by President of the Republic Alexander Stubb, who will deliver Finland’s statement at the general debate on 22 September. The delegation’s vice-chairs are Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio.
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16.9.2026
Minister Tavio to visit Estonia
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will visit Tallinn on 16 September. During his visit, he will meet Estonian Minister of Economy and Industry Erkki Keldo, business representatives and learn about Estonia's startup and innovation ecosystem and the Rail Baltica project.
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16.9.2026
Finland to help the Pacific and Indonesia prepare for climate change and extreme weather, with Finnish Meteorological Institute in project implementation
Finland will allocate EUR 2.55 million for preparedness for extreme weather events in Indonesia and the island nations of the Pacific. The Finnish Meteorological Institute will implement the PACIDFIN project together with the Pacific Meteorological Council and the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics.
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15.9.2026
New Head of Mission appointed to Munich
At the presidential session on Tuesday 15 September, the President of the Republic appointed Roy Eriksson to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Consulate in Munich.
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15.9.2026
Finland to establish a consulate in Munich
On 15 September 2026, the President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb confirmed an amendment to the Presidential Decree on Finland's Missions Abroad. The amendment establishes a Finnish consulate in Munich, Germany.
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14.9.2026
French Foreign Minister Barrot to visit Helsinki and meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot will visit Helsinki and meet Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen on 14 September. During their discussions, the ministers will sign a document on a strategic partnership between Finland and France. They will also receive briefings on security in the Baltic Sea region.
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10.9.2026
Finland to invest EUR 120 million in new finance program being prepared to mobilise private financing in emerging markets
Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs will invest EUR 120 million in the Finland-IFC Blended Finance Program for private-sector investments. The program is being prepared in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. This will be the largest development policy investment ever made by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The appropriations will be allocated from the Ministry’s financial investment item.
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9.9.2026
Updated online course enhances knowledge of sanctions
Effective enforcement of sanctions requires up-to-date knowledge and an understanding of sanctions and how they are applied. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has updated the content of the Introduction to Sanctions online course, which is open to everyone. The online course is now also available in Swedish.
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8.9.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend foreign ministers’ meeting in Latvia
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend a meeting of like-minded countries convened by Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže in Riga, Latvia, on 9 September.
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4.9.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to appoint expert group to examine AI's foreign and security policy implications
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will appoint a working group of Finnish and international experts to examine the foreign and security policy implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for Finland. The working group will submit its report by the end of November.
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4.9.2026
Appointments of non-resident Ambassadors to Bhutan and Maldives and to Slovenia
At the presidential session on 4 September, the President of the Republic appointed non-resident Ambassadors to Bhutan and Maldives and to Slovenia.
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4.9.2026
Finland to grant humanitarian assistance to Nepal
The recent flash flood has ravaged northern Nepal, causing a humanitarian crisis across a vast area. Finland will grant EUR 1 million in humanitarian assistance to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to alleviate the humanitarian needs created by the flooding in Nepal. The funding to the IFRC will be channelled through the Finnish Red Cross.
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3.9.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen: Europe must be free to decide its own destiny in the age of AI
Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen spoke about Europe’s future at Chatham House, The Royal Institute of International Affairs, while in London.
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2.9.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to visit London
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Valtonen will visit London on 2–3 September and meet UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.
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31.8.2026
Young peacebuilders from around the world to gather in Helsinki to deepen their expertise
Finland and South Africa launched their joint mentoring programme for young mediators in Pretoria, South Africa, in July 2025. Fifteen young people from across the world are participating in the one-year programme to deepen their expertise in mediation. This week, they are meeting in Helsinki for the fourth, and final, in-person phase of the programme.
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31.8.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland
An informal meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers, also known as Gymnich, will take place in Wicklow, Ireland, on 1–2 September. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.
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27.8.2026
New Deputy Directors General appointed to Department for Asia and Oceania and to Political Department
On Thursday 27 August, the Finnish Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Antti Vänskä to the post of Deputy Director General of the Department for Asia and Oceania and Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Miia Rainne to the post of Deputy Director General of the Political Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Both appointments were made for a fixed term from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030.
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25.8.2026
UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination issues recommendations to Finland
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) welcomes several reforms implemented in Finland, highlighting the reform of the Act on the Sámi Parliament, the adoption of several national action plans and the discussion of international human rights recommendations and decisions. At the same time, the Committee makes recommendations to Finland on issues including combating racist hate speech and ethnic profiling and safeguarding the rights of the Sámi, the Roma and non-citizens.
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20.8.2026
Finland supports aviation safety in Indonesia, while also opening opportunities for Finnish technology
Finland is delivering weather and aviation safety systems to Indonesia in a project that improves the safety of the country’s aviation operations by strengthening aviation meteorological services. The project will be carried out by Vaisala Plc together with the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Vaisala’s main production site is in Vantaa, Finland.
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19.8.2026
Heads of Finland’s missions abroad to gather for annual meeting in Helsinki
Heads of Finland’s missions abroad and foreign policy leaders will gather at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Heads of Mission in Helsinki, held at the Parliament Annexe ‘Little Parliament’ on 24–26 August.
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17.8.2026
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger to visit Finland
Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, will visit Finland on 18–20 August and meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
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14.8.2026
New Heads of Mission appointed to Riyadh, Jakarta and Finland’s Permanent Mission to the UN; Deputy Director General appointed to Foreign Ministry’s Legal Service and non-resident Ambassadors to five countries
At the presidential session on Friday 14 August, the President of the Republic appointed Jukka Pajarinen Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Riyadh, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Jakarta and Janne Taalas Head of Finland’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York. Pajarinen and Suomela-Chowdhury will take up their posts on 1 September and Taalas on 1 November 2026. At its session on Thursday 13 August, the Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Sami Leino to the post of Deputy Director General of the Foreign Ministry’s Legal Service for a fixed term from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030.
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13.8.2026
Finnish expertise supports Ukraine – Wärtsilä to deliver engines for power plants from Vaasa
Finland is supporting the reconstruction of Ukraine's war-torn energy sector with EUR 28.5 million to be granted from development cooperation funds. The total value of the power plant technology involved is EUR 45.6 million, with Ukraine funding the remainder of the project itself.
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12.8.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen visits Åland
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet the Åland leadership in Mariehamn on 14 August.
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6.8.2026
Call for Proposals in 2026 for International Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs) for Humanitarian Mine Action
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland announces a Call for Proposals for INGOs for Humanitarian Mine Action. The Call is open from Thursday 6th August 2026 until Friday 4th September 2026. The total amount of funding to be distributed based on the applications received through this Call for Proposals is at maximum EUR 9 000 000 for the period of 2027–2029.
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24.7.2026
EU expands sanctions on Russia with extensive 21st sanctions package
The EU approved its 21st sanctions package on 23 July. The package continues to increase pressure on Russia by weakening Russia’s ability to wage its war of aggression in Ukraine. The new sanctions enter into force on 23 July 2026. The package contains a record number of new listings. The EU also expands sanctions on the energy and financial sectors and on the shadow fleet and similarly expands the import and export ban lists. The package also tightens sanctions against Belarus.
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16.7.2026
Minister of Commerce and industry of India Goyal visits Finland on 16–17 July
A high-level business delegation led by Minister of Commerce and Industry of India Piyush Goyal visits Finland on 16–17 July, 2026. The key themes for the visit are digital and new advanced technologies, advanced manufacturing, clean energy and sustainable development, and the food and consumer industries.
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16.7.2026
New Deputy Director General appointed to Political Department
The Finnish Government promoted Counsellor Hanna Lepistö to the public office of Counsellor for Foreign Affairs starting on 1 September 2026 and appointed her to the post of Deputy Director General of the Political Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for a fixed term from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2030.
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16.7.2026
Johanna Kaprio-Papageorgiou appointed to serve as Counsellor for Public Diplomacy and Communications at Finland's Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has appointed Johanna Kaprio-Papageorgiou to serve as Counsellor for Public Diplomacy and Communications at Finland’s Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029.
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13.7.2026
Germany’s Foreign Minister Wadephul to visit Finland
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul will visit Finland on 15–16 July and meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen. The ministers will have bilateral discussions and visit various sites to learn about security in the northern region of Europe.
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10.7.2026
EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Russia’s war of aggression, the Middle East and the Black Sea
EU foreign affairs ministers will convene for a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 13 July. State Secretary Pasi Rajala will represent Finland at the meeting.
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10.7.2026
OSCE report: Militarisation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children in Russia and Russian-occupied territories
In May, 41 OSCE participating States, including Finland, invoked the Moscow Mechanism in cooperation with Ukraine to investigate militarization and indoctrination of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation. According to the report published at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on 9 July, Russia has sought to erase the Ukrainian national identity of these children and reinforce Russian State-approved narratives. Forcible transfers, deportations and the systematic indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children could amount to crimes against humanity, in addition to violations of international law. The report makes recommendations to the Russian authorities, the OSCE, Ukraine and the international community on ways to take action and reinforce accountability.
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9.7.2026
New Heads of Mission appointed to Lusaka and Mumbai
At the presidential session on Thursday 9 July, the President of the Republic appointed Marja Rosvall to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Lusaka, and Petra Theman to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Consulate General in Mumbai, starting on 1 September 2026.
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6.7.2026
UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to focus on accelerating progress on 2030 Agenda
The UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will take place in New York between 7 and 15 July. The purpose of the annual meeting is to review the progress made in achieving the objectives of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Finland’s delegation will be led by Mika Nykänen, State Secretary to Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala.
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7.7.2026
Majority of seasonal work visa applications for wild-berry pickers refused
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has received approximately 2,200 seasonal work visa applications this year for the purpose of wild-berry picking in Finland. To date, a majority of the applications have been processed, approximately 1,600 applications in total. The processing has revealed indications of a risk of worker exploitation, as well as shortcomings in employers’ compliance with their statutory obligations. The majority of the applications, approximately 1,400, have been refused.
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2.7.2026
Dan Ekholm appointed to serve as Counsellor for Public Diplomacy and Communications in Berlin
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has appointed Dan Ekholm as Counsellor for Public Diplomacy and Communications in Berlin from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029.
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30.6.2026
Finnish Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend NATO Summit
Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will be part of the delegation of the President of the Republic Alexander Stubb to the NATO Summit in Ankara, Türkiye, on 7–8 July.
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30.6.2026
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit Finland
Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi will visit Helsinki on 5 July and meet Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
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29.6.2026
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mozambique Maria Manuela dos Santos Lucas to visit Finland
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique Maria Manuela dos Santos Lucas will visit Finland on 29–30 June and meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
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29.6.2026
Minister Tavio to visit Germany
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will visit Hamburg on 29 and 30 June to speak at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference. The visit will also include a business programme aimed at strengthening commercial and economic ties between Finland and Germany, in particular in the Hamburg region.
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25.6.2026
New appointments at Finnish Foreign Ministry
In its plenary session on 25 June, the Finnish Government appointed several persons to new positions at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki.
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16.6.2026
President of UN International Fund for Agricultural Development Alvaro Lario to visit Helsinki
President of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Alvaro Lario will visit Helsinki on 16–17 June. The topics on the agenda are Finland’s cooperation with IFAD and global food security.
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16.6.2026
New Head of Mission appointed to New Delhi and non-resident Ambassador to Angola, authorisation granted to Tajikistan
At the presidential session on 16 June, the President appointed Mikko Kivikoski as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in New Delhi from 1 July, authorised Roving Ambassador Maria Ågren for Tajikistan, and appointed Satu Lassila, Head of Mission in Maputo, as non-resident Ambassador to Angola from 16 June.
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15.6.2026
Finnish trade policy magazine Kauppapolitiikka shuts down, long live Finnish trade policy
The Finnish trade policy magazine Kauppapolitiikka will publish its final issue in June 2026. It will feature reminiscences by former editors-in-chief from past decades and ask how Finland will develop as part of the global economy in the years ahead.
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15.6.2026
Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ policy on Finland’s Indo-Pacific approach: Prioritising stability and cooperation
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has adopted Finland’s first comprehensive Indo-Pacific policy, responding to the region’s growing economic and geopolitical significance.
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12.6.2026
EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Russia’s war of aggression, the Middle East and China
EU foreign affairs ministers will convene for a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 15 June. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.
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12.6.2026
Minister Adlercreutz to attend meeting of ministers for Nordic cooperation in the Faroe Islands
Minister Anders Adlercreutz, who is responsible for Nordic cooperation, will attend the summer meeting of the ministers for Nordic cooperation in the Faroe Islands on 15–16 June.
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11.6.2026
Tuomas Tapio appointed to serve as Foreign Ministry’s Permanent State Secretary
In its session on 11 June 2026, the Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Tuomas Tapio to serve as Permanent State Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs starting on 1 September 2026.
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10.6.2026
Minister for Foreign Affairs Valtonen to meet ministers from Kenya, India and the United Arab Emirates
Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi, India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh on 10–12 June.
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