Australia
The new year brings changes to the Act on the Making of Decisions Concerning the Provision of and Request for International Assistance, among others.
IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American Development Bank Group, and Finland announces the establishment of the Finland-Latin America and the Caribbean Blended Finance Climate Fund.
Amendments to the Aliens Act will extend the use of a long-term visa known as a D visa. The amendments will contribute to promoting education-based and labour-based immigration and streamline entry procedures. The President of the Republic approved the amendments on 20 December.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has issued a Decree on Fees for Services Produced by the Foreign Service. The new decree will enter into force on 1 January 2023.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk will visit Finland from 18 to 19 December. He will meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto, who will be hosting the visit, and Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will attend a virtual Nordic foreign ministers’ meeting in N5 format on 13 December. Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly will attend the meeting as a guest.
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.
Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will lead a Team Finland trade mission to the State of Texas and visit Washington DC from 12 to 16 December.
The Belarusian opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, will visit Helsinki on 13 and 14 December, at the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.
EU Foreign ministers to meet in Brussels on Monday 12 December. Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto to represent Finland at the meeting.
