Current affairs
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13.10.2026
Foreign Ministry introduces AI service for processing classified information
Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs has introduced its AI Assistant UMAI to an initial group of pilot users. The service enables the use of artificial intelligence to process information at national security classification level IV in a secure environment. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Government ICT Centre Valtori are acting as pilot organisations in the development of a common secure AI platform for central government.
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1.10.2026
New partnership agreement strengthens cooperation between EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries
The Government proposes that Parliament approve the partnership agreement between the European Union and its Member States and the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), also known as the Samoa Agreement.
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26.7.2026
Aalto Works inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to inscribe the Aalto Works on the World Heritage List at its 48th session held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 19 to 29 July 2026. The property comprises 13 modern architectural sites across Finland designed by Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto.
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16.6.2026
Weather Station Project in Ethiopia – A great cooperation from 2019
Why the Project Began Our goal was to establish a reliable, modern weather station infrastructure to support researchers, farmers, and local communities with accurate data and forecasting capabilities together with Ethiopian Meteorological Institute, Vaisala, and Finnish Meteorological Institute. Ethiopia’s weather conditions are inherently unpredictable and remarkably diverse, shaped by dramatic variations in altitude, regional climates, and seasonal patterns. In recent years, climate change has added an additional layer of complexity, increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. These shifting conditions have underscored the need for reliable, modern weather monitoring systems—and laid the foundation for our project. First Steps and the Groundbreaking Ceremony
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8.5.2026
New heads of mission appointed to Addis Ababa and Tokyo and roving ambassador to Turkmenistan
At the presidential session on Friday 8 May, the President of the Republic appointed Erik Lundberg to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Addis Ababa and Pasi Hellman to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Tokyo as of 1 September 2026 and Maria Ågren to serve as Roving Ambassador for Turkmenistan as of 1 June 2026.
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3.5.2026
World Press Freedom Day highlights importance of freedom of expression for democracy and security
World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on 3 May. The day reminds us of the importance of free and independent media as the foundation for democracy, the rule of law and an open society. Finland promotes media freedom, which is fundamental to freedom of speech and expression, as part of its foreign and security policy.
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30.4.2026
The Embassy of Finland in Addis Ababa is closed for Labour day 01.05.
In case of emergency, please contact the Finnish Foreign Ministry's emergency number +358 9 16055555 or paivystys.um@gov.fi
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28.4.2026
Crisis Management NOW – Serving peace 70 years and beyond
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and its partners will organise the Crisis Management NOW event focusing on crisis management and peacebuilding on Tuesday 5 May.
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25.2.2026
President Alexander Stubb and security policy drew global attention to Finland in 2025
Security policy topics, which have dominated international coverage on Finland since 2022, continued as the key theme in 2025. The number of news headlines about Finland was lower than the previous year, but President of the Republic Alexander Stubb assumed a significantly more visible role on the international stage. Country brand surveys indicate that Finland’s brand has become more positive, and awareness of Finland has increased since 2024. However, Finland’s positive image development has not fully kept pace with other countries.
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11.2.2026
Foreign Ministry’s consular services assist over 245,000 Finns around the world in 2025
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish missions abroad provided consular services to approximately 245,000 customers in 2025. In addition, the Ministry’s 24/7 service was contacted around 6,700 times over the course of the year.