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25.8.2025 | "Our task is to promote a world in which as many people as possible—regardless of country of birth and circumstances—can live their lives safely and freely, and be happy. That is Finland’s story."

4.4.2024 | The UN Human Rights Council adopted the resolution Combating Discrimination, Violence, and Harmful Practices against Intersex Persons on 4 April. The resolution was presented by Finland together with Australia, Chile and South Africa. Several states across the world also supported the resolution.

25.8.2025 | "Finland is advancing the interests of Finland and Finnish businesses in a proactive and forward-looking way, also in the midst of ongoing changes."

26.2.2025 | The ministers met in Helsinki on 26 February. They discussed the bilateral relations between Finland and Türkiye and EU–Türkiye trade and economic relations.

12.12.2024 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will host a summit on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 December in Saariselkä. The North-South Summit will bring together leaders from northern and southern Europe to discuss key issues facing Europe in a tense geopolitical climate.

23.5.2025 | At the presidential session on 23 May, the President of the Republic appointed the following persons to serve as heads of missions: Petri Puhakka, Kathmandu; Kirsikka Lehto-Asikainen, Paris; Eija Rotinen, Bogota; Antti Putkonen, Baghdad; Ville Cantell, Reykjavik; Lasse Keisalo, Lima; Katja Ahlfors, Dakar; Teemu Turunen, London; and Stefan Lindström, Houston. In addition, the President of the Repub...

21.1.2025 | Veera Virmasalo, (MA), has been appointed to the post of Senior Specialist in Higher Education and Science Policy at the Embassy of Finland in Pretoria from 14 January 2025 to 31 July 2027. Team Finland Knowledge experts are responsible for monitoring higher education and science policy, promoting cooperation opportunities and making Finnish higher education institutions better known in their designated country.

24.11.2025 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo is of the view that the negotiations between Ukraine and the United States in Geneva have moved the Ukraine peace plan in the right direction. On Monday 24 November, Prime Minister Orpo attended an informal meeting of EU leaders on the status of the peace negotiations.

26.9.2025 | The Finnish Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne will attend the G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, from 29 September to 1 October 2025. In 2025, the G20 Presidency is assumed by South Africa. 

24.8.2026 | Speech by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo at the Annual Meeting of Heads of Mission hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki on 24 August 2026. Changes possible during the speech.

13.3.2026 | At the presidential session on Friday 13 March, the President of the Republic appointed the following persons to serve as heads of missions, starting from 1 September 2026: Ann-Christine Krank, Algiers; Veikko Kiljunen, Buenos Aires; Salla Sammalkivi, Santiago de Chile; and Markku Lampinen, Tunis.

4.5.2026 | Additional capital totalling EUR 200 million will enable the gradual ramp-up of the project. Keliber is the first lithium project in Europe with integrated production from mine to refinery.

10.3.2026 | The 2026 call for applications for the Joint Innovation Facility (JIF) funding is now open. JIF is designed to strengthen digital, climate-positive innovation activity. The funding will support the expansion of market-ready, digitally enabled innovations through cross-border partnerships.

28.2.2023 | According to a study published on 28 February, intensifying great power competition increasingly complicates the ability to respond to global challenges through multilateral cooperation. Finland can respond to this transformation by strengthening the EU’s foreign policy capacities and by examining the potential of informal avenues of cooperation as well as partnerships in the context of the Global South.

28.11.2021 | As of 15.00 on Sunday 28 November, Finland will restrict entry into the country at its external borders for travellers who have been in Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia or Zimbabwe during the 14 days prior to their arrival in Finland. The Government adopted a decision on the matter on 28 November.

14.8.2026 | At the presidential session on Friday 14 August, the President of the Republic appointed Jukka Pajarinen Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Riyadh, Pirjo Suomela-Chowdhury Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Jakarta and Janne Taalas Head of Finland’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York. Pajarinen and Suomela-Chowdhury will take up their posts on 1 September and Taalas on 1 November 2026.

31.8.2026 | Finland and South Africa launched their joint mentoring programme for young mediators in Pretoria, South Africa, in July 2025. Fifteen young people from across the world are participating in the one-year programme to deepen their expertise in mediation. This week, they are meeting in Helsinki for the fourth, and final, in-person phase of the programme.

1.1.2022 | In his blog post, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto commemorates the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

8.12.2022 | Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson will travel to South Africa to attend an international conference in Pretoria on 7–8 February 2023. After that, the Minister will visit Namibia.

2.2.2021 | Changes to travel recommendations: avoid all travel to Brazil, Ireland, Portugal, South Africa and the United Kingdom Ministry for Foreign Affairs Publication date 2.2.2021 9.52 Type: News item The Ministry for Foreign Affairs urges to avoid all t...