New Heads of Missions to Reykjavik, Seoul, Riga, Ankara, Vilnius, Shanghai, Managua and Los Angeles
The President of the Republic appointed on the 8th of February, the following new ambassadors:
Wuoristo joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1974 and has held positions in, for example, the Department for External Economic Relations and the Political Department. He has also served as Head of the Terms of Employment Unit and later as Deputy Director General for Personnel. From 2001 to 2004, Wuoristo was Director General of the Administrative Department. Wuoristo's diplomatic career includes postings to Cairo, Vienna, Bucharest and Bonn. He was appointed Finland's Ambassador to Riga, Latvia, in 2004.
Serenius joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1975 and has held positions in the Department for Development Cooperation and the Department for External Economic Relations. From 2001 to 2004, she served as Director General of the Department for Africa and the Middle East. Serenius' diplomatic career includes postings to the UNDP in Sri Lanka, where she served as Junior Professional Officer, to the Permanent Mission of Finland to Geneva, and to the Finnish Embassies in Cairo and Tokyo. She has also been Consul General in the Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles. Serenius was appointed Finland's Ambassador to Ankara in 2004.
Eskelinen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1973. She has held several positions in the Political Department, the Department for External Economic Relations, and the Department for Development Cooperation. She has been, for example, Deputy Director General for multilateral development cooperation. Her diplomatic career includes postings to the Permanent Missions of Finland in New York and Geneva. She has also served as Ambassador of Finland to Riga and as Minister in the Finnish Embassy to London. Eskelinen was appointed Director General of the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia in autumn 2004. From 1986 to 1989, Eskelinen worked for the Finnish Red Cross, where she held the position of Head for International Aid.
Kiljunen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1983. She has held positions in the Department for Development Cooperation, in the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and in the Finnish Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. In addition to her career in the Foreign Service, Kiljunen has worked for the University of Helsinki, UNU-WIDER in Helsinki and for Unicef in New York. She has also served as Executive Director of the UN Association of Finland and as Secretary General of the Social Democratic Women in Finland. Since 2004, Kiljunen has worked as Roving Ambassador based in Helsinki to the Central Asian Republics (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), and in 2004-05 also to Mongolia.
Heimonen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1986. His current position in the Department for External Economic Relations focuses on the coordination of measures related to the promotion of export and internationalisation of companies. He is also preparing Finland's participation in the World EXPO 2010 in Shanghai. At the Ministry, Heimonen has served long in the Department for External Economic Relations, but he has also worked in the Political and Administrative Departments. Heimonen's diplomatic career includes postings to the Permanent Mission of Finland to Geneva and to Riyadh, Bonn, Berlin and Tokyo.
Rotinen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1987. She has held positions in the Legal Department, the Political Department, the Department for Development Cooperation, and the Department for External Economic Relations. In 2003, Rotinen was appointed to serve as Head of Unit for the Middle East and North Africa. Rotinen's diplomatic career includes postings to the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN in New York, to Stockholm, Pretoria and Madrid and to the Permanent Mission of Finland to the OSCE in Vienna. She has also been Head of the Representative Office of Finland in Ramallah.
Westphalen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1981. She has held positions in the Department for External Economic Relations, the Department for Communication and Culture, the Protocol Department, the Department for Development Cooperation, the Political Department and the Department for Africa and the Middle East. In 2005-06, Westphalen served in the Unit for Policy Planning and Research as coordinator of matters concerning the Islamic world. Her current position in the Political Department involves contacts with representatives of the Islamic world and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue. Westphalen's diplomatic career includes postings to Paris, Beijing and Damascus, and to the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN in New York. In 1996-2000, she served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in the Finnish Embassy in Rabat, Morocco.