Current affairs
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27.5.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to participate in informal meeting of EU foreign ministers
The informal meeting of EU Foreign Affairs Ministers (Gymnich) will take place in Limassol, Cyprus, on 27–28 May.
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3.5.2026
World Press Freedom Day highlights importance of freedom of expression for democracy and security
World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on 3 May. The day reminds us of the importance of free and independent media as the foundation for democracy, the rule of law and an open society. Finland promotes media freedom, which is fundamental to freedom of speech and expression, as part of its foreign and security policy.
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28.4.2026
Crisis Management NOW – Serving peace 70 years and beyond
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and its partners will organise the Crisis Management NOW event focusing on crisis management and peacebuilding on Tuesday 5 May.
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17.3.2026
Zenon Severis – Honorary Consul of Finland in Cyprus
Zenon Severis serves as Finland’s Honorary Consul in Cyprus, continuing his family’s long tradition of strengthening relations between Finland and Cyprus. Zenon’s father, Honorary Consul General Demosthenis Z. Severis, whose term ended in late 2025, worked for decades to strengthen ties between the two countries.
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25.2.2026
President Alexander Stubb and security policy drew global attention to Finland in 2025
Security policy topics, which have dominated international coverage on Finland since 2022, continued as the key theme in 2025. The number of news headlines about Finland was lower than the previous year, but President of the Republic Alexander Stubb assumed a significantly more visible role on the international stage. Country brand surveys indicate that Finland’s brand has become more positive, and awareness of Finland has increased since 2024. However, Finland’s positive image development has not fully kept pace with other countries.
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11.2.2026
Foreign Ministry’s consular services assist over 245,000 Finns around the world in 2025
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish missions abroad provided consular services to approximately 245,000 customers in 2025. In addition, the Ministry’s 24/7 service was contacted around 6,700 times over the course of the year.
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9.1.2026
Cyprus Begins Its EU Presidency – Topics of Importance to Finland on the Agenda
EU member states take turns holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for six months at a time. From the beginning of January until the end of June 2026, Cyprus will take on this role.
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2.1.2026
Unified export promotion network serves Finnish companies worldwide
As of 1 January, the foreign operations of Business Finland related to export promotion have been integrated into the structures of the Finnish Foreign Service. The reform will strengthen the Team Finland network and provide a better platform for a unified team for export promotion.
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5.12.2025
Finland’s national soundscape recognised in London
Finland’s national soundscape Ääniä has received recognition in a prestigious place-branding competition in London. The work, composed by Lauri Porra, was honoured in the Best Use of Design category assessing strategic country branding initiatives. The soundscape is published on music streaming platforms on 5 December 2025, just ahead of Finland’s Independence Day.
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5.12.2025