Two new Ambassadors and one non-resident Ambassador appointed

At the presidential session on 28 June, the President of the Republic decided to appoint two new Ambassadors and one non-resident Ambassador.

Embassy of Finland in Cairo, Egypt

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Riikka Eela to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Cairo, starting on 1 September 2024.

Eela will move to Cairo from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs where she has served as Director of the Unit for the Middle East since 2019. She has worked with the Middle East Peace Process and migration and voluntary return matters at the Foreign Ministry. She has also worked in the Defence Policy Department of the Ministry of Defence. Her career in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Finland’s ambassies in Rome, Berlin and Tel Aviv.

Riikka Eela joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2001. She holds a Master’s degree in social sciences from the University of Helsinki.

Embassy of Finland in Bangkok, Thailand

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Kristiina Kuvaja-Xanthopoulos to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Bangkok, starting on 1 September 2024.

Kuvaja-Xanthopoulos will move to Bangkok from her post as Ambassador of Finland to Bulgaria, which she has held since 2020. Before that, Kuvaja-Xanthopoulos served as Deputy Director General of the Department for Africa and the Middle East from 2016 to 2020. Her other posts at the Foreign Ministry include Director of Unit at the Department for Development Policy. Kuvaja-Xanthopoulos has also served as a seconded national expert at the European Commission in Brussels. Her career in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Finland’s embassies in Athens and the Philippines.

Kuvaja-Xanthopoulos joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1999. She holds a Doctor’s degree in social sciences from the University of Jyväskylä.

Non-resident Ambassador to Fiji

The President of the Republic appointed Ambassador Arto Haapea, Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in Canberra, to serve as a non-resident Ambassador to Fiji.