Denmark
Heads of Finland’s missions abroad and foreign policy leaders will meet again at the Annual Meeting of Heads of Mission in Helsinki on 26–28 August. Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström has been invited as guest speaker to the meeting.
The project is funded by Finland through the Green Recovery Programme for Ukraine and implemented by the Nordic Green Bank Nefco. This marks Finland’s first investment in Ukraine through Nefco since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion and Nefco’s first involvement in a nearly-zero energy building (NZEB) project in Ukraine.
The new act on the export of dual-use items enters into force on 15 September 2024. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs advises businesses to familiarise themselves with and prepare for the legislative amendment. The amendment includes a national control list of items that need an authorisation for export outside the European Union.
At its session on 15 August, the Government appointed a new Director General to the Department for Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs proposes appropriations of EUR 1.202 billion for its administrative branch for 2025. As part of general government adjustment measures, additional savings totalling EUR 116 million have been allocated to the administrative branch.
The aim of the visit is to strengthen political and commercial relations with key Western African countries.
In its session on 8 August, the Government appointed a Director General and a Deputy Director General to the Department for Development Policy and an Inspector-General of the Foreign Service to the Unit for Internal Audit. The Government also appointed a Director General of Administrative Services.
The European Union responds to the deterioration of the internal situation in Belarus by imposing new sanctions against individuals responsible for serious human rights violations or for undermining democracy or the rule of law. The EU Member States approved the additional sanctions on 26 July 2024.
Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Nasser Bourita, in Helsinki on 6 August.
In its session on 1 August, the Government appointed Deputy Directors General to the Department for Euro-Atlantic Affairs and the Department for International Trade and a Director to the Unit for EU Affairs.
