Press releases
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22.5.2026
New heads of mission appointed to Dar es Salaam and Copenhagen
At the presidential session on Friday 22 May, the President of the Republic appointed Anna Merrifield to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Dar es Salaam as of 1 September 2026 and Lotta Nymann-Lindegren to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Copenhagen as of 1 August 2026.
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20.5.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend a meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Helsingborg, Sweden, on 21–22 May.
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19.5.2026
Slovakian Minister of Foreign Affairs Juraj Blanár to visit Finland
Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Juraj Blanár will visit Helsinki on 20 May and meet Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
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15.5.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to cheer on Finland at Eurovision Grand Final
On Saturday 16 May, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen will travel to Vienna to attend the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest at the invitation of Austria’s Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger.
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15.5.2026
EU development ministers to discuss future of external action and Global Gateway strategy
The EU Foreign Affairs Council will meet in its development configuration in Brussels on 18 May. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will represent Finland at the meeting.
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14.5.2026
Russia’s accountability and the strengthening of democracy to be on the agenda of the Council of Europe meeting
The Council of Europe's annual session of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs will be held on 14–15 May in Chișinău, Moldova. Finland will be represented at the meeting by Secretary of State Pasi Rajala.
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14.5.2026
OSCE to investigate Russia’s indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children
On 14 May, 41 OSCE participating States, including Finland, invoked the Moscow Mechanism to investigate Russia’s indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children. The mechanism was invoked in close cooperation with Ukraine.
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13.5.2026
LDC Future Forum in Helsinki to focus on education, innovation and economic growth
The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the United Nations will organise an LDC Future Forum in Helsinki on 19–21 May 2026. The Forum emphasises the role of education and innovation in boosting sustainable economic growth in the least developed countries (LDCs). President of the Republic Alexander Stubb, Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio and Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz will attend the Forum.
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13.5.2026
Survey shows continued support for development cooperation in Finland – humanitarian aid is considered the most important form
A clear majority of people in Finland considers humanitarian aid an important and effective form of development cooperation. In a recent survey, more than 90 per cent of the respondents agreed that humanitarian aid for Ukraine is important. The public opinion poll, commissioned from Taloustutkimus by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, shows that views on development cooperation continue to be split by gender and along party lines.
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13.5.2026
Minister Tavio to join President Stubb and his spouse Innes-Stubb on state visit to Lithuania
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will visit Lithuania on 13–15 May 2026 as a member of the official delegation accompanying President of the Republic Alexander Stubb on his state visit. Minister Tavio will also attend the programme for the business delegation.
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8.5.2026
Discretionary government grants for 2026 awarded to organisations and communities operating in the field of foreign and security policy and supporting businesses expand internationally
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has awarded a total of EUR 1,890,000 in discretionary government grants to 15 civil society organisations (CSOs) and communities.
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8.5.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend EU foreign ministers’ meeting
EU foreign affairs ministers will convene for a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 11 May.
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8.5.2026
New heads of mission appointed to Addis Ababa and Tokyo and roving ambassador to Turkmenistan
At the presidential session on Friday 8 May, the President of the Republic appointed Erik Lundberg to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Addis Ababa and Pasi Hellman to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Tokyo as of 1 September 2026 and Maria Ågren to serve as Roving Ambassador for Turkmenistan as of 1 June 2026.
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6.5.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend foreign ministers’ meeting in Germany
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend a meeting convened by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Wiesbaden, Germany, on 7 May.
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4.5.2026
National ICE Pact coordinators to meet in Helsinki
National coordinators of the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) from Canada, Finland and the United States will meet in Helsinki on 5–7 May 2026. Finland will host a three-day meeting for the countries’ government representatives to advance the goals related to icebreaker construction and Arctic cooperation.
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3.5.2026
World Press Freedom Day highlights importance of freedom of expression for democracy and security
World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on 3 May. The day reminds us of the importance of free and independent media as the foundation for democracy, the rule of law and an open society. Finland promotes media freedom, which is fundamental to freedom of speech and expression, as part of its foreign and security policy.
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30.4.2026
Maria Paaso appointed as Special Adviser to Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Tavio
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio has invited Maria Paaso to serve as his Special Adviser. Paaso started in her new post on 27 April 2026.
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28.4.2026
Crisis Management NOW – Serving peace 70 years and beyond
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and its partners will organise the Crisis Management NOW event focusing on crisis management and peacebuilding on Tuesday 5 May.
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28.4.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend NB8 foreign ministers’ meeting in Estonia
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend a meeting of Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers (NB8), to be held in Kuressaare, Estonia, on 29–30 April.
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27.4.2026
Minister Tavio to lead trade mission to Australia and New Zealand
Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will lead a Team Finland trade mission to Australia and New Zealand between 28 April and 5 May 2026.
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24.4.2026
New Heads of Mission appointed to Prague and the Hague
At the presidential session on Friday 24 April, the President of the Republic appointed Jouni Laaksonen to serve as Head of Mission at Finland's Embassy in Prague and Mikael Antell to serve as Head of Mission at Finland's Embassy in the Hague, starting on 1 September 2026.
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24.4.2026
Minister Adlercreutz to visit Brunei to attend ASEAN–EU foreign ministers’ meeting
Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz will visit Brunei on 27–28 April 2026 to represent Finland at the ASEAN–EU foreign ministers’ meeting.
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23.4.2026
EU tightens sanctions with a significant 20th sanctions package
Russia is waging a war of aggression in Ukraine for the fifth year and has not demonstrated a genuine willingness to negotiate for a lasting peace. Russia’s ruthless strikes on civilian targets highlight the need to tighten sanctions. With its 20th sanctions package, the European Union continues to increase pressure on Russia to weaken the country’s ability to pursue its war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU is expanding its sanctions against the energy and financial sectors and Russia’s shadow fleet, while adding measures to prevent the circumvention of sanctions. Sanctions against Belarus are also being tightened.
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23.4.2026
EU recognises Finland for expert work supporting institutional building
The European Commission has granted Finland a TAIEX 30th anniversary award for its leading role in promoting digital innovations and competitiveness. The Commission recognised EU Member States for promoting the TAIEX programme’s goals in the EU enlargement process and institutional capacity-building in partner countries.
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22.4.2026
Finland updates country brand strategy to enhance global standing
Finland has published a revised country brand strategy that sets out how Finland’s image will be shaped internationally in the coming years. The new strategy, Making happiness happen, presents Finland as a country that enables people to lead a good life in a well-organised society.
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20.4.2026
EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Russia’s war of aggression, the Middle East, the South Caucasus and Sudan
EU foreign affairs ministers will convene for a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 21 April. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.
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20.4.2026
Russian citizens are recommended to apply for visa with biometric passport starting from May
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs decided in March that from 1 June 2026, Finland will not accept non-biometric passports issued by the Russian Federation. The objective of the decision is to ensure that travel documents are as reliable as possible. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs advises holders of non‑biometric passports who plan to apply for a visa or residence permit to prepare well in advance for the change.
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17.4.2026
New heads of mission appointed to Warsaw and Oslo
At the presidential session on Friday 17 April, the President of the Republic appointed Maimo Henriksson to serve as Head of Mission at Finland's Embassy in Warsaw and Tanja Jääskeläinen to serve as Head of Mission at Finland's Embassy in Oslo, starting on 1 September 2026.
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16.4.2026
Government report on changes in the foreign and security policy environment submitted to Parliament
On 16 April, the Government approved the proposal for the Government report on changes in the foreign and security policy environment. The report supplements the Government report on Finnish foreign and security policy published in 2024. The need for the new report arose from changes that have taken place in the global political situation.
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15.4.2026
Foreign Ministry sends out for comments draft government proposal to amend Passport Act and Identity Card Act
The proposal seeks to update legislation on passport and identity card services with regard to the activities of the Foreign Service.
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13.4.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to visit Canada
Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will travel to Canada on 13–14 April.
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10.4.2026
2025 saw historic decline in international development finance
The official development assistance (ODA) continued to decline in 2025 both globally and in Finland. Statistics indicate a broad shift in global development finance. Ukraine remained Finland’s largest partner country for bilateral development cooperation.
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9.4.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to travel to the United States
Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit the United States on 9–13 April.
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7.4.2026
Minister Tavio to lead trade mission to South Korea
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will lead a Team Finland trade mission to South Korea's capital Seoul on 8–10 April. The Minister will be accompanied by a group of Finnish companies in the thermal energy sector.
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4.4.2026
Finnish authorities repatriate minor from Iraq
The Finnish authorities repatriated a Finnish minor from Iraq to Finland on Friday 3 April.
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2.4.2026
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot to visit Helsinki
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prévot will visit Helsinki on 7 April and meet Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
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30.3.2026
Minister Adlercreutz to attend EU foreign ministers’ informal meeting in Kyiv
EU foreign ministers will hold an informal meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 31 March. Taking place on the anniversary of the discovery of the Bucha massacre, the meeting will be an important signal of the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine. Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz will represent Finland at the meeting.
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30.3.2026
Finland to grant humanitarian assistance to Lebanon
Finland will grant two million euros in humanitarian assistance to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR’s operation in Lebanon to support refugees and internally displaced persons.
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27.3.2026
New heads of mission appointed to Budapest, Hong Kong and Shanghai
At the presidential session on Friday 27 March, the President of the Republic appointed the following persons to serve as heads of missions, starting on 1 September 2026: Pekka Kaihilahti, Finland’s Embassy in Budapest; Juha Niemi, Finland’s Consulate General in Hong Kong; and Joonas Heiskanen, Finland’s Consulate General in Shanghai.
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26.3.2026
Finland prepares to open consulate in Munich
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will continue to reform its network of diplomatic missions by establishing a consulate in Munich, where Business Finland formerly had an office.
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24.3.2026
Finland becomes contributing partner in US-led programme promoting responsible use of small modular reactor technology
Finland has joined the US-led Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) programme as a contributing partner. Led by the State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control and Nonproliferation (ACN), FIRST harnesses the power of the nuclear industry to expedite responsible nuclear reactor deployment worldwide.
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24.3.2026
Kauppapolitiikka magazine: The limitless potential of space
Space offers almost limitless possibilities for business and innovation. The theme article of the latest issue of the Kauppapolitiikka trade magazine explains the diverse dimensions of the space economy and looks at its growing importance for Finnish businesses.
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20.3.2026
New heads of mission appointed to Riga, Brussels, Tallinn and the Permanent representation of Finland to the OSCE, Vienna
At the presidential session on Friday 20 March, the President of the Republic appointed the following persons to serve as heads of missions, starting on 1 September 2026: Anu Vuori, Finland’s Embassy in Riga; Jari Sinkari, Finland’s Embassy in Brussels; Hannu Heinonen, Finland’s Embassy in Tallinn; and Outi Hyvärinen, Finland’s Permanent Representation to the OSCE.
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16.3.2026
Ministers for Nordic cooperation to set up commission to examine possible update of Helsinki Treaty
At their remote meeting on Monday 16 March, the ministers for Nordic cooperation decided to set up a commission to examine ways of strengthening the status of Åland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland in Nordic cooperation. Minister for Nordic Cooperation Anders Adlercreutz represented Finland at the meeting.
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13.3.2026
EU Foreign Affairs Council to discuss Russia’s war of aggression, the Middle East and the Southern Neighbourhood
EU foreign affairs ministers will convene for a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 16 March. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will represent Finland at the meeting.
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13.3.2026
New heads of mission appointed to Algiers, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile and Tunis
At the presidential session on Friday 13 March, the President of the Republic appointed the following persons to serve as heads of missions, starting from 1 September 2026: Ann-Christine Krank, Algiers; Veikko Kiljunen, Buenos Aires; Salla Sammalkivi, Santiago de Chile; and Markku Lampinen, Tunis.
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12.3.2026
OSCE report: Human rights situation in Georgia has worsened since spring 2024
An OSCE Moscow Mechanism report on the developments in Georgia in respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms since spring 2024 was presented at the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on 12 March. It offers recommendations to the Georgian authorities, the OSCE participating States and the international community on how to address problems of democracy, the rule of law and human rights.
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12.3.2026
European Court of Human Rights decides expropriation case
On 12 March 2026, the European Court of Human Rights issued a decision in a case concerning the expropriation of real property and the amount of compensation paid for expropriation. The Court unanimously declared the applicants’ complaint under Article 1 (protection of property) of Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights inadmissible as manifestly ill-founded.
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11.3.2026
OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann to visit Finland
Secretary-General of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Mathias Cormann will visit Finland from 11 to 12 March. During the visit, he will meet Finland’s political leaders and attend a consultation event preceding the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting.
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10.3.2026
Emma Virkkunen appointed as Special Adviser to Foreign Minister Valtonen
Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen has invited Emma Virkkunen to serve as her Special Adviser. Virkkunen took up her post on 9 March 2026.
Press releases