Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen to visit Ireland and the United Kingdom
Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Dublin, Belfast and London from 3 to 4 March. In Dublin, the Foreign Minister will meet Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Minister for Defence Simon Harris. In Belfast, Minister Valtonen will deliver the Annual Harri Holkeri Lecture on mediation at Queen’s University. In London, she will speak about European security at an event hosted by Chatham House.
Foreign Minister Valtonen and Foreign Minister Harris will discuss topical issues related to European security and defence, including Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and support to Ukraine. The ministers will also discuss the bilateral relations between Finland and Ireland and EU topics, such as the single market, competitiveness and enlargement. Other topical foreign and security policy issues are also on the ministers’ agenda.
“Ireland is an important like-minded partner for Finland both bilaterally and within the EU. Finland and Ireland have also cooperated closely in areas such as peacebuilding and peacekeeping for a long time,” Foreign Minister Valtonen says.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Valtonen will deliver the tenth Annual Harri Holkeri Lecture at Queen’s University in Belfast. Her lecture will focus on peace mediation in the age of geopolitical contestation. Queen's University Belfast has hosted the Harri Holkeri Lecture Series in partnership with the Embassies of Finland in London and Dublin since 2013. The annual lecture series celebrates the contribution of the late Finnish Prime Minister Harri Holkeri to the Northern Ireland peace process. Other speakers before Foreign Minister Valtonen have included former Finnish Presidents Tarja Halonen and Martti Ahtisaari and former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.
In London, Foreign Minister Valtonen will speak about Finland’s approach to European security at an event entitled ‘Keeping the peace on NATO’s longest border with Russia’, hosted by Chatham House on 4 March.
Minister Valtonen will also give several media interviews during her visit.
Inquiries
Laila Clyne, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 350 492
Matias Pajula, Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 350 571
Aleksi Vakkuri, Director, Unit for Central, Western and Southern Europe, tel. +358 295 350 627
The email addresses of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are in the format [email protected].