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28.1.2022 | Projektfonden för Barentsregionen (Barents Financial Mechanism, BFM) inleder sin verksamhet under Finlands ordförandeskap i Barentsrådet (Barents Euro-Arctic Council, BEAC) 2021–2023 och den första utlysningen öppnas den 24 april 2022.

28.1.2022 | Barentsin hankerahaston (Barents Financial Mechanism, BFM) toiminta käynnistetään Suomen Barentsin euroarktisen neuvoston (Barents Euro-Arctic Council, BEAC) puheenjohtajakaudella 2021-2023 ja ensimmäinen haku avataan 24.4.2022.

22.3.2023 | Suomen saamelaiskäräjät ja Suomen Barentsin euroarktisen neuvoston puheenjohtajuus järjestävät yhteistyössä Euroopan parlamentin kanssa alkuperäiskansojen huippukokouksen Brysselissä 22.–24. maaliskuuta.

23.8.2021 | Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues, It really feels good to be Finnish right now. Our team may not have brought home gold from the Olympics in Tokyo, but our efforts to tackle the Covid crisis are surely worth a few medals. This is a good opportunity for me to extend my thanks to you for your hard work. This is also a chance to for us to take a look ahead together.

22.8.2022 | "In times of crisis, decision-making capacity is weighed up. Through good cooperation between various actors, Finland has made the necessary foreign and security policy decisions. In the middle of difficult times, we have made rapid but deliberate progress."

22.1.2021 | EU foreign ministers meet to discuss climate and energy matters and a broad range of other topical issues Ministry for Foreign Affairs Publication date 22.1.2021 14.25 Type: Press release The EU Foreign Affairs Council will hold its first meeting ...

10.9.2021 | The webinar is a kickoff for creating a constructive dialogue about Nordic food culture and its different drivers for promoting sustainable lifestyle. It’s time to explore the Nordic Kitchen Manifesto as a catalyst in creating a new tool for a constructive dialogue to match the different sustainability perspectives of just food systems in the Nordics.

16.3.2021 | Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a remote bilateral meeting on 16 March 2021. In their first meeting, the prime ministers had an extensive discussion on how to deepen concrete cooperation between their countries and addressed a number of key international issues.

10.5.2021 | EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on Monday 10 May. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be State Secretary Johanna Sumuvuori. The main topics on the meeting agenda will be the relations between the USA and the EU and the situation in the Western Balkans. Foreign ministers will also have a video conference with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry.

2.11.2021 | Finland has joined the Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use of the Glasgow Climate Change Conference, whereby more than one hundred countries commit to stopping deforestation by 2030. President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö will speak at the publication event of the Declaration on Forests in Glasgow on Tuesday.

2.11.2021 | Finland has joined the Leaders' Declaration on Forests and Land Use of the Glasgow Climate Change Conference, whereby more than one hundred countries commit to stopping deforestation by 2030. President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö will speak at the publication event of the Declaration on Forests in Glasgow on Tuesday.

31.5.2021 | Almost two thousand people took part in the process to create a Nordic perspective for the European Commission’s New European Bauhaus initiative. The participants considered that Nordic values such as sustainability, closeness to nature, equality and inclusion provide a good basis for housing and building. The final report on the outcomes of the Nordic co-design process has now been published and submitted to the European Commission.

2.6.2021 | Finland is coordinating cooperation between the Nordic countries and Baltic states in the Nordic–Baltic Eight (NB8) format in 2021. The second foreign ministerial meeting of the year will be held on Wednesday 2 June. Due to the COVID-19 situation, the meeting will be held virtually.

12.3.2021 | Antarctica, located around the geographical South Pole, and the surrounding islands south of 60 degrees South latitude together form the Antarctic region. Antarctica is the coldest, driest and windiest place on earth. It does not belong to any state and has no indigenous or permanent settlement.

25.7.2021 | Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today in Chengdu, Southwest China, and held discussions with him on bilateral issues, EU-China relations and some key international questions.

4.2.2021 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto to visit St Petersburg Ministry for Foreign Affairs Publication date 4.2.2021 14.40 Type: Press release On Monday 15 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will visit St Petersburg and hav...

24.8.2022 | On 24–26 August 2022, Europe Forum Turku will gather Finnish opinion-makers and citizens to discuss Finland’s role in Europe. The Ministers and public officials of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will contribute as speakers to many of the Forum events. In addition, Europe Information of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will have a stand in the Hansatori Shopping Centre on Friday 26 August.

27.9.2021 | The Government proposes EUR 1.3 billion in appropriations for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The promotion of human rights, the rule of law, democracy, peace, freedom, tolerance and equality in all international activities forms the central element of the value base on which Finland’s foreign and security policy rests. The budget proposal lays special emphasis on measures that strengthen the netw...

24.8.2021 | Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin´s speech at the Annual Meeting of Heads of Mission, hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland 24 August 2021. (Check against delivery).

24.8.2021 | Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin´s speech at the Annual Meeting of Heads of Mission, hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland 24 August 2021. (Check against delivery).

30.1.2023 | Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen and Permanent Secretary Kirsi Pimiä will visit the United States between 29 January and 3 February. Their visit seeks to deepen bilateral relations with the United States counterparts in the Ministry of the Interior’s branch of government and with key stakeholders. They also aim explore recent developments in the areas of internal and national security and migration in the United States.

26.11.2021 | In its session that concluded on 26 November, the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) discussed measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. No significant progress was made at the meeting.

26.11.2021 | In its session that concluded on 26 November, the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) discussed measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. No significant progress was made at the meeting.

1.9.2022 | The Government proposes EUR 1.3 billion in appropriations for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Support for Ukraine will continue to be at the heart of the Ministry’s budget in 2023.

23.11.2022 | The Ministerial Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) was held in Paris on 22–23 November 2022. At the Ministerial Council, which is organised every three years, the Member States decide on the priorities, programmes and funding of ESA’s activities for the coming years.

5.1.2023 | The European Commission has selected projects to receive grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). A project coordinated by Cinia Oy received EUR 3.65 million for planning the development of digital backbones in Northern Europe and the Arctic region with Danish Nordunet, the other member of the consortium. Telia received funding for improving cross-border network service continuity. The proje...

18.12.2023 | Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen at the Hudson Insitute in Washington, D.C. on 18 December 2023.

5.1.2023 | The European Commission has selected projects to receive grants from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). A project coordinated by Cinia Oy received EUR 3.65 million for planning the development of digital backbones in Northern Europe and the Arctic region with Danish Nordunet, the other member of the consortium. Telia received funding for improving cross-border network service continuity. The proje...

3.3.2023 | The Barents Region’s green transition gets its own action plan Ministry for Foreign Affairs Publication date 3.3.2023 7.56 Type: News item Barents green transition panel discussion in Kemi, pictured from left to right: Jari Vilén, Liisa Ansala, Mi...

17.2.2023 | The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has awarded EUR 1,726,000 in discretionary government grants to 26 civil society organisations (CSOs) operating in the field of foreign and security policy.

25.6.2023 | On Sunday 25 June, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo met with Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir in Reykjavik. Their discussions focused on the situation in Russia, support for Ukraine, and bilateral issues between Finland and Iceland. They also discussed Nordic cooperation, Arctic issues and climate matters.

20.9.2023 | The Finnish Government proposes EUR 1.3 billion in appropriations for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Ministry will continue to support Ukraine in 2024, as outlined in the Government programme.

5.10.2023 | The Barents Forest Forum, held on 4–5 October 2023, discussed sustainable forestry in the northern areas of Finland, Sweden and Norway. The Forum concluded Finland's two-year chairmanship of the Forest Sector.

24.10.2023 | A Barents Scholarship for Cultural Cooperation in Finland has been awarded to Koli Art Residence. The value of the scholarship is EUR 10,000. Barents Scholarships for Cultural Cooperation were awarded on 24 October in Joensuu in Eastern Finland. Scholarships were also awarded to recipients from Sweden and Norway.

16.12.2025 | Eight EU Member States stressed the importance of significantly strengthening security at Europe’s eastern external border at the Eastern Flank Summit in Helsinki on 16 December. The Member States on the EU’s eastern flank called for the Union’s support in building credible and united defence capabilities along the border with Russia from north to south. The summit at the House of the Estates was hosted by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.

7.11.2025 | The UN Climate Change Conference COP30 will be held on 10–21 November in Belém, Brazil. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is organising four side events, where the focus will be on the circular bioeconomy, climate change adaptation and resilient food systems. Two of the events will be held at the Finland Pavilion and two at the Nordic Pavilion. Besides these, the Ministry will participate...

2.10.2025 | The Nordic energy ministers met in Helsinki on 1 October. The main topics of the meeting were energy  security and the electricity market. This year Finland holds the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, together with Åland. Finland was represented by Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala and, on behalf of Åland, by Minister Camilla Gunell.

23.6.2025 | This year, the European Union’s most important Arctic event will take place in Kittilä, on 26–27 June. The event is expected to attract about 350 attendees from across Europe.

11.12.2025 | On 11 December 2025, the Government submitted to Parliament a Union communication concerning the European Commission’s proposed regulations on the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). The proposals are part of the Commission’s proposal for a new multiannual financial framework for 2028–2034.

8.10.2025 | Minister of Education and Minister for Nordic Cooperation Anders Adlercreutz will visit Japan on 9–12 October. During his visit, he will take part in events at the Osaka World Expo.