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.

Embassy of Finland in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Erik Lundberg to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, starting on 1 September 2026.

Lundberg will transfer to Addis Ababa from the Department for Political Affairs of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where he has served as Deputy Director General since 2022.

Lundberg has previously served as Head of Mission in Finland’s Embassies in Nairobi and Oslo and represented Finland at the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). His career in the Diplomatic Service also includes postings with Finland’s Embassies in Ottawa and Damascus and Finland’s Permanent Representations in Strasbourg and New York.

Lundberg has held a number of different positions at the Foreign Ministry, including at the Legal Service, the Department for External Economic Relations and Director of Unit and Chief Specialist at the Department for Political Affairs.

Erik Lundberg holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995.

Embassy of Finland in Tokyo, Japan

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Pasi Hellman to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Tokyo, starting on 1 September 2026.

Hellman will transfer to Japan from the post of Under-Secretary of State for Development Policy which he has held since 2022.

Hellman was the Managing Director of the Nordic Development Fund (NDF) in 2012–2018 and served on the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, the Philippines, in 2004–2007.

Hellman has previously served as Head of Mission in Shanghai. His career in the Diplomatic Service also includes posts in The Hague and Nairobi.

Hellman has held a number of different positions at the Foreign Ministry, including at the Department for Development Policy, the Department for Global Affairs and the Department for Asia and Oceania.

Pasi Hellman holds the degree of Doctor of Science in Economics and Business Administration. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995.

Roving Ambassador for Central Asia (Turkmenistan)

At its session on 7 May, the Government promoted Counsellor Maria Ågren to the public office of Counsellor for Foreign Affairs, starting on 1 June 2026. The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Maria Ågren to serve as Roving Ambassador for Central Asia, and specifically for Turkmenistan, starting on 1 June 2026.

Ågren has served as Deputy Strategy Director and Desk Officer for policy planning at the Foreign Ministry since 2022.

In the Diplomatic Service, she has previously served as Deputy Head of Mission in Kyiv and Vilnius and as Second Secretary in Moscow. She has held a number of positions at the Foreign Ministry, including at the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the Department for Europe.

Maria Ågren holds two university degrees: a Master of Social Sciences and a Master of Theology. She joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2001.