Current affairs

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finland’s Missions are monitoring the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in cooperation with the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), and they are in constant contact with key actors with regard to the situational picture and any necessary measures.

The EU is revising its Visa Code in order to facilitate visa procedures for travellers and to respond more effectively to the challenges posed by illegal migration. Finland will start applying the new Visa Code on 2 February 2020 together with other Schengen countries.

One of the key objectives of Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU has been to turn the European Union into a global climate leader. The 90 diplomatic and consular missions of Finland abroad have now risen to the challenge. The missions have addressed climate change in diverse ways, ranging from ways to exercise political influence to environmentally friendly choices in everyday life.

Finland and Estonia will start to develop the Albanian Security Academy in a two-year Twinning project. The project supports the capacity of the Security Academy to provide high-quality security sector training and to carry out research activities. A joint tender by Finland and Estonia won the tender competition for the project.

All Finnish missions abroad and organisations issuing visas, including the Border Guard, Finnish Customs and the Police, started to use the new EU visa sticker on 11 November 2019

A joint proposal by Finland, Estonia and France has been selected a contract for to implementing a Twinning project in Armenia. The two-year project will start at the end of the year. It will support the reforms of Armenian public administration and strengthen public officials’ skills and competences. HAUS Finnish Institute of Public Management Ltd will be responsible for the project in Finland.

From 1 October 2019, Schengen visas will be issued by the following seven embassies of Finland in Europe: Berlin, Dublin, London, Madrid, Nicosia, Sofia and Stockholm.