Unit for Northern Europe and Regional Cooperation

The unit is responsible for the following countries:

Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden

The unit is responsible for

1) political, trade policy, commercial, economic and development cooperation issues related to the bilateral relations between Finland and the countries within the unit’s remit and to EU and multilateral institutions;

2) performance guidance of Finnish missions in the countries within the unit’s remit and support from the Ministry’s other departments for matters related to the region;

3) Nordic cooperation on foreign and security policy (N5) and collaboration between the Nordic countries and the Baltic States (Nordic-Baltic Eight, NB8);

4) functions of the Secretariat for Nordic Cooperation, which are matters falling within the functions of a member of the Nordic Cooperation Committee, cross-administrative coordination at the national level, and assisting in the coordination of obligations related to the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Secretariat operates under the direction of the minister responsible for Nordic cooperation.

5) matters related to regional cooperation in Northern Europe (including Finland’s Baltic Sea policy and general maritime policy (excluding maritime law)) and related organisations and other cooperation bodies (including the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) and the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC));

6) coordinating Finland’s Arctic policy, implementing and coordinating Arctic cooperation (including the Arctic Council) and Antarctic policy (including the Antarctic Treaty), preparing and implementing EU Arctic and Antarctic policies and Arctic strategies; and

7) administering appropriations for cooperation in the Baltic Sea, Barents and Arctic regions.

The Secretariat for Nordic Cooperation at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is responsible for the general planning and coordination of Finland's Nordic cooperation. The Secretariat takes care of, for example, the preparation of Nordic prime ministerial meetings and the meetings of ministers for Nordic cooperation.

In Orpo's Government, Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz(Link to another website.) is responsible for matters related to Nordic cooperation.

The Chief of the Secretariat for Nordic Cooperation represents Finland in the Nordic Committee for Cooperation.