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2.2.2026 | Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto will visit the United Arab Emirates, Zambia and South Africa from 2 to 10 February 2026. The purpose of the visit is to promote exports of Finnish companies and to strengthen Finland’s role in the mineral value chains.

27.11.2025 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo visited South Africa on 26–27 November. In Pretoria, Prime Minister Orpo met for discussions with the Deputy President of South Africa, Paul Mashatile. This was the first-ever visit by a Finnish prime minister to Pretoria, the administrative capital of the country. The main purpose of the visit was to promote commercial and economic relations between Finland and South Africa, and the Prime Minister had several meetings related to export promotion.

20.11.2025 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will attend the European Union–African Union Summit in Angola on 24–25 November. From there, Prime Minister Orpo will continue on to South Africa, where he will take part in a trade mission promoting bilateral relations between Finland and South Africa on 26–27 November.

26.1.2024 | South Africa has approved the import of unheated frozen pork from Finland to its market.

14.8.2025 | At its session on Thursday 14 August, the Government appointed Timo Olkkonen as the new Deputy Director General of the Department for Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

18.1.2023 | South Africa has approved the import of Finnish heated pork products to its market. Export to South Africa can be started immediately.

25.4.2023 | During the state visit of the President of the Republic of Finland to the Republic of South Africa, a Letter of Intent on Co-Operation in Peace Mediation was signed on 25 April between the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa.

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

18.1.2021 | Direct passenger flights from the UK, Ireland and South Africa continue to be suspended Ministry for Foreign Affairs Publication date 18.1.2021 15.37 Type: News item The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom has decided that the sus...

21.1.2021 | Changes to travel recommendations: avoid all travel to United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa Ministry for Foreign Affairs Publication date 21.1.2021 12.50 Type: News item The Ministry for Foreign Affairs urges to avoid all travel to the United ...

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.

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

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

9.6.2026 | Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen held a speech at the meeting of the Council of Europe’s Committee on Social Inclusion and Human Dignity in Kouvola on 9 June 2026.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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 | "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."

2.5.2024 | Defence Forces to join US National Guard Partnership Program Ministry of Defence Publication date 2.5.2024 14.56 Type: Press release On 2 May 2024, Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen and Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin signed a Letter of Inten...

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.

25.8.2023 | The Research Council of Finland and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland have granted funding for nine research projects within a call for applications that was launched under the Academy Programme for Development Research, DEVELOP2. The programme provides funding for multidisciplinary and problem-driven research that describes and interprets dimensions of development, helps understand obstacles to development and finds ways in which those obstacles can be removed.

11.5.2023 | Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has aggravated world hunger and multiplied global humanitarian needs. For this reason, Finland’s humanitarian assistance focuses on life-saving food in 2023.

11.8.2023 | At the presidential session on Friday 11 August, the President of the Republic appointed a new Ambassador to Ireland and new non-resident Ambassadors to Djibouti, South Sudan, Malta and San Marino. In addition, the Government appointed a new Under-Secretary of State for International Trade.

12.12.2022 | Finland will participate in the replenishment cycle of the African Development Fund and in the reinforcing of the Fund’s work in the coming years, especially with regard to climate change adaptation. The African Development Fund helps the poorest African countries in coping with the many coinciding crises and in recovering from them.

11.9.2023 | The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold its 54th session from 11 September to 13 October in Geneva, Switzerland.

30.11.2023 | Over the past decade, Finland has improved its ranking in the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index study from 18th to 15th place. The study of people’s images of 60 countries shows that Finland is on the rise, especially as a country to live in or visit.

21.3.2023 | The first UN Water Conference in 46 years takes place in New York on 22–24 March 2023. The Finnish delegation is composed of a broad spectrum of stakeholders representing the water sector. Jaana Husu-Kallio, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, stresses the importance of good governance of water resources, cooperation between the public and private sectors, and the high level of expertise Finland has in water issues.

21.5.2025 | English Style Guide A handbook for translators, revisers and authors of government texts Prime Minister’s Office, Finland ENGLISH STYLE GUIDE | PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, FINLAND | 2025 2 Contents Quick reference guide .................................

7.6.2023 | The OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) will take place from 7 to 8 June 2023 in Paris. The theme of this year’s meeting is securing a resilient future. The ministers will also discuss the reconstruction of Ukraine.