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14.11.2022 | Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Finland Mr Ville Skinnari will lead a trade mission to South Africa and Namibia from 14 to 18 November. The programme of the visit includes meetings with representatives of South African and Namibian governments, central banks and businesses.

26.11.2021 | Based on the recommendations of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs recommends avoiding all travel to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mosambik and Malawi

24.6.2021 | Finland will send face masks, protective visors, medical gowns and swabs to Namibia to fight the COVID-19 epidemic. The material assistance will be delivered through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism.

14.11.2022 | Utvecklings- och utrikeshandelsminister Ville Skinnari gör en exportfrämjande Team Finland-resa till Sydafrika och Namibia den 14–18 november. I resan ingår möten med företrädare för Sydafrikas och Namibias regeringar, centralbanker och näringsliv.

24.6.2021 | Finland skickar munskydd, visir, skyddsrockar och provtagningsstickor till Namibia för hantering av coronaläget. Materialhjälpen sänds via Europeiska unionens civilskyddsmekanism.

26.11.2021 | Utrikesministeriet avråder från alla resor till Sydafrika, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini (tidigare Swaziland), Mosambik och Malawi enligt rekommendationer av Institutet för hälsa och välfärd.

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.

1.8.2025 | At the presidential session on Friday 1 August, the President of the Republic appointed Katja Kalamäki to serve as Ambassador in Windhoek.

6.11.2025 | The Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will elect a new Council for the forthcoming two-year term in November-December. Finland is seeking re-election to the Council. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has invited Finnish maritime education institutions to serve as advisers to the Finnish delegation at the Assembly. Finnish maritime education is a sought-after export to various parts of the world. 

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.

28.2.2024 | At the presidential session on 28 January, the President of the Republic appointed a new non-resident Ambassador to Angola.

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.

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.

24.11.2023 | The Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) will meet in London from 27 November to 6 December 2022. Finland is a candidate for membership in the IMO Council. The configuration of the incoming Council will be subject to a vote by the Assembly on 1 December. 

27.10.2023 | In 2024–2026, the higher education cooperation of Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs will prioritise teacher education, climate change and the circular economy, and food security. The Foreign Ministry grants just over EUR 6 million to the seven projects approved for the partnership programme.

8.11.2023 | Many of the guests invited to former president Martti Ahtisaari’s state funeral reflect his decades-long international career. The state funeral on Friday 10 November will be attended by several international dignitaries.

20.6.2023 | The World Circular Economy Forum sought solutions to problems that are crucial to Earth’s carrying capacity: climate change, the consumption of materials, biodiversity loss and pollution. The Forum strengthened cooperation between Finnish and African actors.

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.

27.6.2023 | The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold its second regular session of this year from 19 June to 14 July. Before each session, as part of Finland’s contribution to the work of the Human Rights Council, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs asks civil society organisations for their views on Finland's priorities and objectives. Many civil society representatives again gathered at Merikasarmi, Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

10.3.2023 | Consultation of civil society has become an established part of Finland’s preparations for the sessions of the UN Human Rights Council. The views of civil society support the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in its work to promote human rights. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto discussed with a broad spectrum of the Finnish civil society members in February before the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council.