Current affairs

The new decree of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on fees charged for services provided by the Finnish Foreign Service in 2025 enters into force on 1 January 2025. Several services that are now provided free of charge will become subject to a fee as of 1 January 2025.

The Team Finland reform proceeds. After the transitional period, the foreign operations of Business Finland will be incorporated into the Foreign Service. The appropriation of Business Finland’s foreign network will be transferred to the administrative branch of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on 1 January 2025. The service agreement ensures that the export promotion services will continue without interruption.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend the online meeting of the Nordic foreign ministers on 10 December.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Berlin to attend the 25th anniversary of the Nordic embassies on 21 October. Foreign Minister Valtonen and her Nordic colleagues will meet Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock in connection with the event.

On October 16th 2024, the Nordic-Baltic countries’ foreign ministers visited Odesa, Ukraine. The visit took place against the backdrop of intensified Russian attacks against Ukraine resulting in further loss of lives, injuries, and widespread destruction. Finland is represented by Political State Secretary Pasi Rajala.

The Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, Karen Ellemann, will visit Helsinki from 10 to 11 October and meet Finnish Minister for Nordic Cooperation Anders Adlercreutz.

Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will visit Copenhagen on 3 October. The aim of the visit is to promote the commercial and economic relations between Finland and Denmark and foreign investments in Finland. During his visit, Minister Tavio will meet Denmark’s public officials and key business representatives.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has sent out for comments a proposal for a new Decree of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Fees for Services Produced by the Foreign Service in 2025. It is proposed that several of the Foreign Ministry's services which are currently provided free of charge should be made chargeable.

The high-level meetings of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) will start in New York on 24 September. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will attend ministerial events in New York and have bilateral meetings with their counterparts and with representatives of the UN.

Minister Anders Adlercreutz, who is responsible for Nordic cooperation, will attend a virtual meeting of the ministers for Nordic cooperation on Wednesday 11 September.