Foreign Ministry's press releases

Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade of Finland Mr Ville Skinnari will lead a trade mission to South Africa and Namibia from 14 to 18 November. The programme of the visit includes meetings with representatives of South African and Namibian governments, central banks and businesses.

EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on 14 November. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will represent Finland at the meeting.

The Government endorsed a report on Nordic cross-border barriers in its plenary session on 10 November. The report presents Finnish efforts to remove and prevent cross-border barriers during the government term and highlights barriers, which the Finnish authorities have been working to remove. In addition, the report gives general information about the removal of cross-border barriers by, for example, listing key bodies and their roles.

Most of the people who need humanitarian assistance are living amid crises that have gone on for years. Altogether 325 million people in 69 countries need assistance. Finland is granting EUR 13.6 million in humanitarian assistance to help especially the most vulnerable people.

Recent crises underline the importance of development cooperation as a key instrument of foreign and security policy, according to Finland’s Development Policy Results Report submitted to Parliament on 9 November.

Finland will support the grain shipments of the World Food Programme (WFP) from Ukraine to Somalia. At the same time, Finland will increase its humanitarian assistance to the Horn of Africa, where more than 20 million people are in need of urgent food aid.

Finland’s human rights record will be examined in the Universal Periodic Review by the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on 9 November. The review gives UN Member States the opportunity to ask Finland questions about our human rights record and give Finland recommendations. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will head Finland’s interministerial delegation.

A draft government proposal on the adoption of the North Atlantic Treaty and of the Agreement on the status of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, National Representatives and International Staff was sent out for comments on 3 November 2022. The draft proposal was prepared by a working group led by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The annual meeting of the Nordic Women Mediators’ network will be held in Helsinki on 2–4 November 2022. The three-day meeting will explore topical issues related to peace and security. Minister for Foreign Affairs Haavisto will host a panel discussion in connection with the meeting.

Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Dr. Majid Alkassabi will visit Finland on 1–4 November on the invitation of Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari.