Ministry for Foreign Affairs closes office in Petrozavodsk

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has decided to temporarily close the Petrozavodsk Office, which operates under the Consulate General in St. Petersburg.

The temporary closure of the office means that its activities will be suspended until further notice. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs estimates that at present Finland does not need an office in Petrozavodsk due to a significant decrease in the office’s core tasks. The office may be reopened later, if necessary.

The Petrozavodsk Office was set up in 1990. For three decades, it has focused on entry matters, bilateral connections and the promotion of regional and cross-border cooperation. 

Earlier this year, the Foreign Ministry decided to close the office in Murmansk. Both the Petrozavodsk Office and the Murmansk Office operated under Finland’s Consulate General in St Petersburg. The Consulate General in St Petersburg will continue its activities. The Ministry’s decision does not affect the activities of Russian diplomatic missions in Finland. The Foreign Ministry is continuously reviewing its network of missions and adapting its resources according to prevailing needs.

Preparations for the temporary closure of the office are under way and the office’s customer service has been closed. Entry matters in Russia will be handled by Finland’s Embassy in Moscow and by the Consulate General in St Petersburg Clients can contact the Consulate General in St. Petersburg in other matters previously handled by the Petrozavodsk Office.