The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has appointed Elna Nykänen Andersson to serve as Press Officer at Finland's Embassy in Stockholm. The three-year term will start on 4 March 2019. She will transfer to the post from content agency OTW.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will visit Washington DC on 5–8 February and attend a Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, hosted by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. In addition, Minister Soini will have meetings with representatives of the administration and participate in the annual National Prayer Breakfast, hosted by members of the US Congress.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will participate in an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers (Gymnich) in Bucharest on 31 January–1 February. The topics on the agenda of the two-day meeting will be the EU's Eastern Partnership, China, Venezuela, and Syria.

The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement will enter into force on 1 February 2019. Together the European Union and Japan form a trading zone of 635 million consumers and the agreement will cover nearly one third of the world’s total GDP.

On Tuesday 29 January, Finland’s Minister for Nordic Cooperation Anne Berner had a meeting with Ann Linde, Sweden's Minister for Nordic affairs.

The second HAnalys seminar, an annual event launched by Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini and Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström, will be held at the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre Hanaholmen.

SIn 2018, Finland processed a total of 768,978 applications for a Schengen visa. The number of applications dropped by seven per cent compared to the previous year. Of visa applications for entry to Finland, 87 per cent came from Russia. India overtook Ukraine in the number of visa applications, being now the third biggest in the list of visa national countries. In June 2018, Ukrainian citizens in possession of a biometric passport were exempted from the visa requirement, which means that a visa is needed only by those who have a non-biometric passport.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will meet Minister Margot Wallström, who continues as Minister for Foreign Affairs in Sweden's new Government, on 29 January 2019 at the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre Hanaholmen. This is Minister Wallström's first official visit abroad as Minister in Prime Minister Stefan Löfven's II Government.

Finland ranked first in the Good Country Index published on 23 January. The results of the Index indicate that, relative to its size, Finland contributes more to humanity and burdens the planet less than any other country.

Finland supports the access to education and child protection of children who have escaped the Syrian crisis to Lebanon. Through the UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, Finland will allocate EUR 3.7 million to supporting the most vulnerable children’s access to education.