Prime Minister Sipilä to attend Supporting Syria and the Region conference in London
Prime Minister Juha Sipilä will attend the Supporting Syria and the Region conference in London on 4 February 2016. Altogether 80 Heads of State or Government have been invited to the conference as well as representatives from civil society and non-governmental organisations. The event is being co-hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom, Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway and Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations.
The purpose of the conference is to address the immediate needs of those affected by the conflicts in Syria and the neighbouring countries and to support the future return of refugees to Syria and to offer hope for those still living in Syria. Over 13 million people in Syria are in urgent need of humanitarian aid - half of them children. Last year 4.5 million Syrians fled to neighbouring countries and around half a million to Europe.
Inquiries: Anna-Kaisa Heikkinen, Special Adviser (International Affairs), tel. 040 7483 867, Prime Minister's Office
Further information on media arrangements: Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office