Current affairs

The management structure of the Team Finland network in Finland will be renewed and the foreign activities of Business Finland will be integrated into the Foreign Service. The changes will proceed in stages and the implementation will take place in cooperation with the business community.

A total of 15,071 persons visited the Finnish diplomatic and consular missions abroad to vote in advance in the elections to the European Parliament. Altogether 150 crew members voted on board Finnish vessels. In the 2019 European elections, 16,547 persons voted abroad at the Finnish missions and on board vessels.

The European Commission decided on 22 May 2024 to increase Schengen visa fees as of 11 June 2024. The increase will apply worldwide.

At the presidential session on 12 April, the President of the Republic appointed eight new Ambassadors and three new non-resident Ambassadors.

The request for participation, instructions for responding and contact details regarding the competitive procedure are available for service providers in the HILMA official service for notices on public procurement in Finland. Service providers are requested to submit their responses by 2 May 2024.

The voting day for the European elections in Finland is Sunday 9 June 2024. Abroad, advance voting will be conducted between 29 May and 1 June 2024, but many of the advance polling stations abroad are open for a shorter period than this.

It has been 60 years since the establishment of the UN peacekeeping operation UNFICYP in Cyprus on March 4, 2024. Over 150 thousand peacekeepers from 42 countries have served on the island. Past events were commemorated in Nicosia in various ways, including a wreath-laying ceremony organized by the embassy at the memorial for Finnish peacekeeping veterans, an UNFICYP medal parade, a photo exhibition, and the unveiling ceremony of the memorial at the historical Ledra Palace Hotel. The following day, on March 5, a peace mediation seminar organized by the embassy attracted over 140 participants, with former Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and former Secretary of State and Cyprus peacekeeping veteran Pertti Torstila, among other speakers, addressing the audience.

In the second round of the presidential election, a total of 62,294 people cast their vote in advance at Finland’s missions abroad. Altogether 220 crew members voted on board Finnish vessels.

The election day for a second election (second round) will be 11 February 2024, and advance voting abroad will be from 31 January to 3 February 2024.

A total of 58,757 persons cast their vote in advance in the presidential election at Finland’s missions abroad. The number of crew members who voted on board Finnish vessels was 223.