New heads of mission appointed to Riga, Brussels, Tallinn and the Permanent representation of Finland to the OSCE, Vienna

At the presidential session on Friday 20 March, the President of the Republic appointed the following persons to serve as heads of missions, starting on 1 September 2026: Anu Vuori, Finland’s Embassy in Riga; Jari Sinkari, Finland’s Embassy in Brussels; Hannu Heinonen, Finland’s Embassy in Tallinn; and Outi Hyvärinen, Finland’s Permanent Representation to the OSCE.

Embassy of Finland in Riga, Latvia

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

Vuori will move to Riga from Finland’s Consulate General in Shanghai, where she has worked as Head of Mission since 2022.

Her career in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Finland’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and embassies in London, Mexico and Rome.

At the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Anu Vuori has served as Director of Unit at the Department for the Americas and Asia and as Team Leader for EU–Russia relations, among other posts.

Vuori holds the degree of Licentiate of Philosophy. She joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1998.

Embassy of Finland in Brussels, Belgium

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

Sinkari is currently Director General of the Department for Asia and Oceania at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Sinkari has previously served as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Jakarta and Consulate General in Hong Kong. He has also worked at Finland’s Consulate General in New York and Embassy in Tokyo.

At the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sinkari has served as Deputy Director General, as Director of Unit, and as Communications Officer for trade policy at the Department for Communications and Public Diplomacy. He has also worked as Desk Officer in the Eastern Asia and Oceania team at the Department for Asia and Oceania.

Sinkari holds a Master's degree in Political Science. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1997.

Tallinn, Estonia

At its session on 19 March, the Government appointed Counsellor Hannu Heinonen as Counsellor for Foreign Affairs, starting on 1 September 2026. The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Hannu Heinonen to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Tallinn, starting on 1 September 2026.

Heinonen will transfer to Tallinn from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where he has served as Director of the Unit for the Middle East and the Gulf since 2024. He has previously worked at the Ministry, among other posts, as Director of Unit and Team Leader at the Department for Africa and the Middle East.

Heinonen has experience in the Diplomatic Service from Warsaw, from Finland’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and from Riga and Tallinn.

Heinonen holds a Doctor of Social Science degree. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2000.

Permanent Representation of Finland to the OSCE, Vienna

At its session on 19 March, the Government appointed Counsellor Outi Hyvärinen as Counsellor for Foreign Affairs, starting on 1 September 2026. The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Outi Hyvärinen to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Permanent Representation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), starting on 1 September 2026. 

Hyvärinen will transfer to Vienna from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where she has served as Director of the Unit for Arms Control at the Political Department since 2021. She has previously held other posts at Ministry, including that of Deputy Director of the Unit for Security Policy and Crisis Management.

Her career in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Finland’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and embassies in Berlin and Warsaw.

Outi Hyvärinen holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Turku and a Master’s degree in International Law (Maîtrise en droit international) from the University of Rouen in France. She joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1999.