State Secretary Paula Lehtomäki chosen as Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers as of March 2019

State Secretary Paula Lehtomäki has been appointed as the new Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Lehtomäki will take up the post in March 2019 as the term of office of the current Secretary General Dagfinn Høybråten ends.

The Ministers for Nordic Cooperation appointed Lehtomäki to the position on 5 September. Currently, Sweden holds the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Paula Lehtomäki is State Secretary to Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, and she has previously served for example as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development in 2003–2007 and as Minister of the Environment in 2007–2011.

- I am pleased that the new Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers comes from Finland. Paula Lehtomäki is extremely qualified to hold the position because of her past experience as a minister and as a member of parliament and because of her diverse language skills. Her selection enables us to more strongly develop and promote Nordic cooperation that is so important for Finland, Minister for Nordic Cooperation Anne Berner says.

- I am highly motivated to assume this Nordic position. Nordic cooperation has a significant role and I hope to be able to strengthen it even further. Naturally, I will attend to my current duties in the best possible manner until I transfer to my new position, Lehtomäki says.

Inquiries: Minister Berner, call requests to Secretary Riitta Mäkelä, tel. +358 295 342 321, and Director General Päivi Anttikoski, tel. 040 536 4821, Government Communications.