This is FINLAND Magazine 2018–2019, the English-language annual publication showcasing Finnish expertise and experts, gets pumped up about Finnish start-up enterprises, Finland’s superior arctic expertise and the outlook for circular economy in Finland. The magazine, which is available at Finland’s foreign missions and distributed by the Team Finland network, in particular, to potential export markets and at export events, also gives insight to Finnish food and food culture, and our public libraries from Ivalo to Mariehamn.

The National Bureau of Investigation and the Finnish Border Guard are investigating a series of crimes suspected to involve aggravated facilitation of illegal entry and gross abuse of public office. Crimes related to issuance of Schengen visas are suspected to have been committed in Finland's Embassy of Ankara in Turkey.

The Foreign Minister’s Special Representative on Mediation Jutta Urpilainen, Member of Parliament, says that development of EU peace mediation and conflict prevention work is topical now, ten years after the adoption of the concept on strengthening EU mediation and dialogue capacities. Urpilainen and Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini took part in an unofficial ministerial mediation breakfast in Brussels.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Soini will attend the Council of Europe Winter Session in Strasbourg on 21–22 January and hold a speech at the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) in the capacity of the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) will meet in Brussels on 21 January. Finland's representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini. On the morning of the day of the meeting, Finland will host an unofficial ministerial mediation breakfast, which will be attended by EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and representatives of African youth.

Finns are travelling to all corners of the world. In 2018, over 241,000 Finns registered at matkustustilmoitus.fi, which means that they submitted their travel plans and contact details to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Those who had submitted their travel details received information and instructions from the Foreign Ministry in 92 crisis situations, most of which were related to natural disasters.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will participate in the Nordic Travel Fair Matka 2019 at the Expo and Convention Centre, Messukeskus Helsinki, from 17 to 20 January 2019. At our stand 6s61, experts on travel safety and healthy travelling will provide you tips and advice on how to prepare for various situations when travelling abroad.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro Srđan Darmanović will visit Finland on Thursday 17 January and have a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini.

President Sauli Niinistö and President Xi Jinping published a Joint Action Plan on promoting a bilateral partnership between China and Finland during President Niinistö's state visit to China.

The aim is to increase exchange of information and cooperation between Finnish and Indian specialists and authorities.