Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen to meet with her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha

Elina Valtonen and Andrii Sybiha, Foreign Ministers of Finland and Ukraine respectively, will meet in Helsinki on 30 July. The purpose of Minister for Foreign Affairs Sybiha’s visit is to participate in the Helsinki+50 Conference, which marks the anniversary of Finland’s chairpersonship of the Conference of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The two foreign ministers will discuss topical issues, including support for Ukraine's peace efforts, Finland’s assistance to Ukraine, Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and Finland’s continued support for the country on its path to EU membership. Concerning Ukraine’s convergence with the EU and recent developments in the country, they will also touch upon the issue of rule of law and the operation of its anti-corruption agencies.

“Ukraine is fighting for its independence, and it has repeatedly demonstrated that it is willing and ready to achieve sustainable peace – unlike Russia, which, quite the contrary, is accelerating its attacks on civilian targets too. Ukraine deserves our firm support. At the same time, we encourage Ukraine to go on with the reforms necessitated by its EU path and to guarantee an independent and efficient functioning of its key institutions, such as anti-corruption agencies,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.