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5.10.2021 | The world’s poorest countries are most severely affected by crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. This week, the UN LDC Future Forum will bring together leading scientists, policymakers and development practitioners in Helsinki to discuss new solutions for boosting global development.

18.9.2023 | The EU General Affairs Council (GAC) will meet on Tuesday 19 September in Brussels. Their agenda will include discussing Spain's request to amend Regulation No 1/1958 (the EU language regulation), preparing for the European Council's October meeting, and continuing the GAC’s rule of law dialogue. Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Anders Adlercreutz will represent Finland at the meeting.

22.4.2022 | International actors are focusing on life-saving measures in preparation for a conference on drought in the Horn of Africa arranged for 26 April. Half of the population of Somalia needs humanitarian support due to a drought affecting the entire country coupled with ongoing conflict.

14.10.2022 | EU foreign ministers will convene in Luxembourg on 17 October. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will represent Finland at the meeting.

17.5.2023 | The European Commission provides technical support to reforms in EU Member States with a special focus on making public administration fit for the future and adaptable to change. The Technical Support Instrument (TSI) 2024 Call is now open. The national deadline for submitting requests for support is 20 October 2023.

12.5.2022 | At its session today, the Government approved the proposal for the new Nature Conservation Act, which will now be submitted to Parliament. The new legislative proposal is based on the present Nature Conservation Act, which has been updated and new provisions and entirely new chapters are also proposed to be included in the Act. These include provisions on voluntary ecological compensation, threate...

14.6.2022 | The Fifth National Dialogues Conference (NDC) will bring about 120 peace mediation experts from 30 different countries to Helsinki on 15–16 June. On the two days, the conference will focus on the significance and challenges of national dialogues in the changing world. Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto will open the conference and participate in the opening panel discussion.

19.4.2021 | Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Finland Ville Skinnari delivered the statement on behalf of the governments and peoples of 81 countries.

24.1.2023 | The Arctic region underwent a fundamental shift after Russia launched its war of aggression in Ukraine, putting Finland’s Arctic policy in an unprecedented situation. As part of its work to build a new Arctic policy, Finland is organising an event under the header ‘Changes in the Arctic – how do they affect Finland’s Arctic policy?’ on 31 January at the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway.

5.11.2021 | At the Climate Change Conference today, Finland signed the Glasgow Declaration for Fair Water Footprints. This is the first international commitment concerning responsible use of water. Water is in a key position in climate change adaptation, as well as in the mitigation efforts Finland was asked to sign the declaration as one of the leading countries in water responsibility.

15.11.2022 | On 24 November, high-level European decision-makers will convene at the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia in Espoo to explore solutions forests can offer in the pursuit of good living environments. Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s guests at the Into the Woods event will be President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, European Commissioner for Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch.

24.11.2022 | Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin spoke at the New European Bauhaus Goes Into the Woods event in Espoo, Finland, on 24 November 2022. Check against delivery.

18.10.2022 | Prime Minister Sanna Marin will attend the meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 20–21 October. Topics on the agenda will include Ukraine, energy, economic issues and external relations. The EU leaders will continue the discussion they began at the informal European Council on 7 October in Prague about the effects Russia’s war of aggression is having on the energy crisis and the economy in Europe.

17.6.2022 | EU foreign ministers will convene in Luxembourg on Monday 20 June. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will represent Finland at the meeting. The main themes on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council will be the Horn of Africa, EU relations with Egypt and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Ministers will also have a discussion on the Persian Gulf.

24.11.2021 | Finland joined the Export Finance for Future coalition (E3F) at its meeting on 24 November 2021. The E3F is part of the strategy work to combat global warming. It allocates funding to sustainable projects and defines the most suitable measures for phasing out export finance in projects that are not in line with sustainable development.

4.2.2021 | (Check Against Delivery) 

15.11.2022 | On 24 November, high-level European decision-makers will convene at the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia in Espoo to explore solutions forests can offer in the pursuit of good living environments. Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s guests at the Into the Woods event will be President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, European Commissioner for Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch.

27.10.2021 | Residents of the northernmost parts of Finland will have an opportunity to discuss EU issues with Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen in Utsjoki on 2 November. The open discussion forum will focus mainly on cross-border cooperation and the impacts of climate change on the Sámi culture and local livelihoods.

29.6.2022 | The UN Ocean Conference, which will be held for the second time, brings together representatives of states, researchers, civil society, and businesses to discuss the oceans’ role in climate change mitigation as well as the future of a sustainable blue economy.

27.10.2021 | Prime Minister Sanna Marin will attend the 73rd Session of the Nordic Council and the meeting of Nordic Prime Ministers in Copenhagen on Wednesday 3 November. This year, Finland holds the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which is the official body for intergovernmental Nordic cooperation.

16.2.2023 | Under-Secretary of State Pasi Hellman from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will attend the pledging conference of the Education Cannot Wait fund in Geneva 16 to 17 February. The fund supports education in humanitarian and prolonged crises. Finland will grant two million euros to the Education Cannot Wait fund this year. In 2020–2022, Finland supported the fund by a total of EUR 6 million.

22.8.2022 | "The Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ important role and capacity to function become particularly emphasised in such exceptional times and transition points as those described above. In a time like this, when many of the basic factors of international politics are evolving rapidly, we do not need to question the importance of diplomacy." 

23.8.2021 | Distinguished Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen, This year has shown very clearly the importance of foreign policy and the work of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. I do not mean just the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan and the tasks related to it, but all the events of the past few months: the global response to the coronavirus crisis, international efforts to halt climate change, work to promote ...

21.10.2022 | At their meeting in Brussels, the EU leaders strongly condemned Russia’s war of aggression and expressed their strong support for Ukraine. The second day of the European Council meeting began with a strategic discussion on China.

18.2.2022 | EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on 21 February. The main items on the meeting agenda are the European security situation, climate diplomacy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, preparation of the joint council of the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the EU cyber exercise. The ministers will also hold an informal exchange with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Under current affairs, the foreign ministers will briefly take stock of the situation in Mali.

20.10.2021 | Prime Minister Sanna Marin will attend the European Council meeting in Brussels on 21–22 October.

10.10.2022 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto was invited by the EU High Representative Joseph Borrell to address the European Union Heads of Mission.

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.

21.6.2021 | With the declaration signed in Portugal on 21 June 2021, the EU Member States make the commitment to take determined action to eradicate homelessness by 2030.

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).

11.10.2022 | Member States of the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, adopted almost unanimously a new long-term global aspirational goal (LTAG). In international aviation, the aim is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to net-zero by 2050. The ICAO Assembly was held in Montreal, Canada, from 27 September to 7 October 2022.

11.10.2022 | Member States of the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, adopted almost unanimously a new long-term global aspirational goal (LTAG). In international aviation, the aim is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to net-zero by 2050. The ICAO Assembly was held in Montreal, Canada, from 27 September to 7 October 2022.

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).

30.12.2021 | Finland’s presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers is coming to an end. Although the COVID-19 pandemic naturally affected event arrangements, solutions have also been found. For example, it has become commonplace to arrange remote and hybrid events, with recordings and reports produced for many events that can be used in various contexts, even after the presidency year ends. This documentat...

2.5.2022 | The Conference on the Future of Europe, which kicked off on Europe Day of last year, has gathered the views of citizens on the future challenges and opportunities facing the EU. Now, one year later, the conference is coming to a close and it is time to assess the results. Join us at Helsinki Central Library Oodi to hear about the conference and discuss the future of Europe with Minister Sirpa Paatero and Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen on Monday 9 May at 14.00.

24.5.2022 | On 1 June, the Economic Council chaired by Prime Minister Sanna Marin will organise a conference on the theme of ecologically sustainable economic policy in the 2020s. The keynote speaker at the event will be Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta, whose report emphasising the economic importance of biodiversity has attracted wide international attention.

29.4.2022 | Minister for European Affairs Tytti Tuppurainen will attend the seventh and final plenary session of the Conference on the Future of Europe in Strasbourg on 29–30 April. At the plenary session, the representatives will draw up a proposal for the final report of the Conference on the Future, which will be published on 9 May 2022.

25.10.2021 | Finland has invited the Nordic transport ministers to an informal climate meeting on 26 October 2021. The meeting will be arranged by means of online connections and it will be chaired by Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka.

25.10.2021 | Finland has invited the Nordic transport ministers to an informal climate meeting on 26 October 2021. The meeting will be arranged by means of online connections and it will be chaired by Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka.

26.1.2022 | Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met in Madrid on Wednesday 26 January. The two prime ministers discussed strengthening their countries’ economic relations and cooperation on a number of EU issues. The security situation in Europe also came up in the discussion.