News, 10.4.2015

New heads of mission to Brussels, Kathmandu and Singapore and a side-accreditation to Jordan were decided upon by the President of the Republic

At the presidential session on Friday 10 April, the President of the Republic decided to appoint the  following new Ambassadors:

Timo Ranta

Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Timo Ranta to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Brussels from 1 September 2015. Ranta is currently serving as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Luxembourg. Before that he served as Adviser to the Minister of European Affairs and Foreign Trade. Ranta has worked in the EU Secretariat of both the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister's Office as well as in Finland’s Permanent Representation to the European Union. When he was working in the Political Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, his duties were also related to the European Union.  In 2008–2011, Ranta served at the General Secretariat of the European Council, his latest position being a member of the Cabinet of the President of the European Council. Ranta joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995.

Jorma Suvanto

Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Jorma Suvanto is to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Kathmandu from 1 September 2015. Suvanto will transfer to Kathmandu from the Department for Africa and the Middle East. He has served as Director of the Unit for Southern Africa of the Department since 2007.  Suvanto joined the Foreign Ministry in 1989. He has served in the Embassies of Finland in Dar es Salaam and Lusaka and also worked in the Department for Development Cooperation.

Paula Parviainen

Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Paula Parviainen is to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Singapore from 16 August 2015. Parviainen is currently serving as Deputy Head of Mission in the Embassy of Finland in Beijing. She has experience of diplomatic posts in  the  Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN in New York and the Embassy in Paris.  In the Ministry, Parviainen has worked in the Department for External Economic Relations, the Protocol Department and the Unit for Asia and Oceania. She has also served as Press Attaché to the Minister for Foreign Trade.  Parviainen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995.

In addition, the President of the Republic has decided that the Head of the Embassy of Finland in Beirut, Ambassador Matti Lassila, is to be side-accredited to Jordan.