Current affairs

Finland will hold the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2011. The Presidency’s number one theme will be comprehensive management of climate change. The aim is to improve the Nordic countries’ role as a strong and unified player in climate issues.

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will participate in the Nordic Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held in Copenhagen on Thursday, 11 March. In accordance with the rotation of the Nordic chairmanship, this meeting will be chaired by Lene Espersen, the new Foreign Minister of Denmark.

The Baltic Sea Action Summit that was held in Helsinki on Wednesday, 10 February was a success in the opinion of the arrangers. The summit attracted a large and high-level group of participants to Finlandia Hall to tell about their commitments to protect the Baltic Sea. The summit was hosted by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and Mr Ilkka Herlin, the Chairman of the Baltic Sea Action Group, who together convened the summit.

The Baltic Sea Action Summit that was held in Helsinki on Wednesday, 10 February was a success in the opinion of the arrangers. The summit attracted a large and high-level group of participants to Finlandia Hall to tell about their commitments to protect the Baltic Sea. The summit was hosted by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and Mr Ilkka Herlin, the Chairman of the Baltic Sea Action Group, who together convened the summit.

The international Baltic Sea Action Summit will gather together heads of state or government from the Baltic Sea region, business leaders, representatives of foundations and other actors to meet in Helsinki on 10 February. “We must act now, for soon it may be too late,” says Jari Luoto, Ambassador for Baltic Sea Issues at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The Baltic Sea Action Summit to be held in Helsinki on 10 February is no ordinary summit. This gathering is made unique by its participants: leaders representing governments, the business community, NGOs and philanthropy. “This promises to be a fine and productive summit,” Jari Luoto, Ambassador for Baltic Sea Issues at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, said on Thursday at the press conference organised to provide background information about the summit.

The Baltic Sea Action Summit (BSAS) to be held in Helsinki at Finlandia Hall on 10 February will present more than 130 Baltic Sea commitments made so far. Concrete commitments have been made by private sector companies of various size, and actors representing the public and third sectors. The heads of state or government participating in the Summit will also make their own commitments contributing to the recovery of the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea Action Summit to be held on 10 February 2010 at Finlandia Hall will bring high-level representatives of ten Baltic Sea states to Helsinki. Seven heads of state or government have confirmed their participation in the Summit which will also gather representatives of NGOs and the business sector.

On Thursday 20 August, Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will attend the dinner of the foreign minister meeting of Nordic Countries and Baltic States – the so-called NB8 Group – to be organised in Reykjavik, Iceland. The topics of discussion will include the ongoing Swedish EU Presidency, Iceland’s EU membership application, the economic crisis and its impacts in the participating countries, and the situation in Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will participate in the Nordic–African Foreign Ministers Meeting, to take place in Helsingør, Denmark on 11–12 March. This informal forum of dialogue has been convened since 2001, the site alternating between the Nordic countries and Africa. At the meeting, the foreign ministers of the Nordic countries and ten African countries exchange ideas on topical issues.