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29.9.2021 | The September issue of Kauppapolitiikka focuses on foreign trade opportunities. The majority of Finnish export businesses are located on the coastal areas. In Savo, the aim is to change the situation.

21.4.2022 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment requests comments on the draft legislative proposal that would implement the EU’s Brexit adjustment reserve. Companies affected negatively by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU would be supported from the reserve. The Act is necessary for the utilisation of the funding reserved for Finland.

4.4.2022 | Convening at the Lahti Adaptation Finance Ministerial on 3-4 April, 2022, members of the Champions Group on Adaptation Finance reiterated their commitment to work together to respond to growing climate change adaptation needs. At the Ministerial, the Champions Group discussed the key priorities for its work including increasing the level, quality and accessibility of adaptation finance, ensuring a balance with mitigation finance, and that it reaches those most in need.

20.4.2021 | In their informal video conference on 20 April, ministers for European affairs focused the Council's annual rule of law dialogue and the country-specific chapters of the rule of law report for Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain and France. The European affairs ministers were also updated on recent developments in the EU–UK relations, on the preparation of the Conference on the Future of Europe, on the EU's response to COVID-19, and on the EU's enlargement process.

26.10.2021 | Ministers from digitally advanced EU countries will meet in Luxembourg to discuss how digital technologies can contribute to the green transition and the achievement of the Paris climate objectives.

5.7.2022 | Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Tytti Tuppurainen visited Kosovo, North Macedonia and Albania on 3–5 July. Minister Tuppurainen visited the region together with Thomas Byrne, Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs. The purpose of the visit was to promote the EU integration of Western Balkan countries and discuss the security situation in Europe.

9.11.2023 | Former President of the Republic of Finland, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ambassador and State Secretary of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Martti Ahtisaari passed away in Helsinki on 16 October 2023 at the age of 86. He was born on 23 June 1937 in Vyborg.

12.4.2022 | On 12 April, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released preliminary data on development assistance by the EU Member States that are members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Finland’s official development cooperation expenditure in 2021 amounted to EUR 1214 million. Compared to the previous year, the highest increase was reported in development policy investments.

27.1.2021 | At their virtual meeting on 27 January, the group of ministers from digitally advanced EU countries (D9+) discussed Europe’s goals on digitalisation for the 2030 targets of the Digital Decade. According to the countries’ joint declaration published at the meeting, Europe’s technological competitiveness is based on digital development, innovations and a functioning internal market.

21.1.2021 | The group of ministers from digitally advanced EU countries (D9+) will discuss the European Commission’s goal of making the 2020s a Digital Decade. The virtual meeting will be held on 27 January 2021 and chaired by Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä.

22.12.2021 | The COVID-19 pandemic has affected tourism in many ways, and even experienced travellers may encounter unexpected situations. We recommend that you plan and find out about matters in advance to make sure that your journey proceeds as planned. The Consular Services of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs approaches travellers in a letter with a number of tips on how to cope in various situations.

12.11.2021 | Finland ranked second in the European Union’s digital performance comparison. The European Commission’s annual Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) monitors the digital performance of EU Member States and tracks their progress in digitalisation. Finland ranked number one in the previous two years, and has been one of the leading countries for several years.

11.5.2021 | Today, 11 May 2021, marks the 10th anniversary of the opening for signature of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, also known as the Istanbul Convention. In order to mark this occasion, European gender equality ministers and many other ministers from EU Member States have signed a common initiative calling on European countries to quickly accede to the Convention.

28.8.2023 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposes appropriations of about EUR 16.15 billion for the Ministry and its administrative branch for 2024. This is about EUR 0.4 billion more than in the 2023 Budget. The increase is mainly due to changes in the needs assessment.

9.10.2023 | The Finnish Government proposes about EUR 16.2 billion in appropriations for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its administrative branch for 2024. This is slightly over EUR 134 million more than in the 2023 Budget. The increase is due to needs assessment changes in pensions, for example, and to the implementation of reforms set out in the Government Programme.

8.3.2021 | First published in Finland in MTV 8.3.2021

8.7.2021 | The Government has decided to continue internal border control until 25 July to ensure the introduction of health security measures at borders. After this short transitional period, internal border control and entry restrictions at internal borders will be lifted. Internal border traffic refers to traffic between Finland and other Schengen countries. Changes will be made to external border control as well.

31.3.2021 | Ten years ago, millions of Syrians took to the streets of Dara’a, Aleppo and Damascus, calling for democracy and respect of their fundamental rights and basic freedoms. The brutal response by the regime triggered over the span of a decade one of the most serious criminal enterprises and humanitarian crises since the Second World War resulting in more than 400 000 deaths and in countless violations of human rights.

3.5.2021 | Finland has published the online course ‘Elements of AI’ in 21 EU countries in their languages. Latvia was the first country to launch the course in May 2020, and Spain and Slovenia the last ones in April 2021.

11.4.2022 | Ministers and senior representatives met in Lahti, Finland – the Green Capital of Europe 2021 – on 3–4 April to put climate adaptation finance at the forefront of climate discussions in 2022.