Current affairs
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3.8.2026
European Union recruitment competitions and international career opportunities – Conversations with Finnish EU officials
Finnish civil servants have long been underrepresented within the institutions of the European Union and their numbers continue to decline. We interviewed three Finnish EU officials in Cyprus and asked them how more Finns could be encouraged to pursue careers in the EU and why this matters. Stefan Simosas, Jutta Pomoell-Segurola, and Maria Filippenkova view the lack of detailed information and guidance as the main reason for Finnish underrepresentation. There are many pathways into an EU career beyond passing the large generalist competitions, but Finns may not be aware of all the options. A better understanding of the recruitment process and effective preparation for recruitment competitions would already go a long way.
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26.7.2026
Aalto Works inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to inscribe the Aalto Works on the World Heritage List at its 48th session held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 19 to 29 July 2026. The property comprises 13 modern architectural sites across Finland designed by Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto.
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1.7.2026
Cyprus' EU Presidency has come to an end - Topics of importance to Finland gained momentum
Cyprus held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from the beginning of January until the end of June. Key topics for Finland on the agenda included security and defense, competitiveness, and the EU’s next multiannual financial framework.
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5.6.2026
Thoughts on peace, Slush and the future of Cyprus from the winner of Finland-supported Startups4Peace programme
In 2025, Finland funded for the last time the Startups4Peace programme that brings the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities closer together. One of the participants and winners of last year’s programme was Pit-to-table, a successful start-up that transforms discarded olive pits into bio-panels. Bicommunality and peacebuilding are at the core of the company’s operations. Olive pits are collected directly from olive mills on both sides of the Green Line. In addition to suppliers, also accountants, photographers and other staff members represent both communities. “Most importantly, it was always going to be mainly Cypriots taking part in our work, from whichever community. In terms of trying to make a difference, that is always at the forefront”, the founders of Pit-to-table explain. We interviewed two co-founders Mustafa Afsaroglu and Buğra Ebeler.
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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.