President of the Republic and Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discuss intelligence issues, Finland’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council and Russia

In their meeting on Friday 5 February, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed topical issues concerning Russia.

Topics on the agenda included the imprisonment of opposition politician Alexei Navalny and the resulting protests, relations between the EU and Russia and bilateral issues between Finland and Russia.

The President and the Committee received a briefing on Finland’s candidacy to become a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2022–2024 term. The themes of the Finnish campaign are the rights of women and girls, new technologies and the digital transformation, sustainable development and climate change, and education.

The President and the Committee also discussed the implementation of the civilian and military intelligence priorities set for 2020.

Inquiries: Mikko Kinnunen, Director General, tel. +358 295 351 820, Maimo Henriksson, Director General, tel. +358 295 351 247 (Russia), Paula Parviainen, Counsellor for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 350 425 (UN Human Rights Council), Ministry for Foreign Affairs; Petri Knape, Director of the National Security Unit, tel. +358 295 488 235 (civilian intelligence), Ministry of the Interior; Harri Ohra-aho, Ministerial Adviser (military intelligence), tel. +358 295 140 039, Ministry of Defence