Current affairs

This is our second Team Finland newsletter. We publish the newsletters online, but if you'd like to be added to the direct emailing list, please contact us.

Finnish diplomat and former Ambassador to Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic, Ilkka Räisänen, has started as a new Alternate Board Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). To understand the role of the EBRD and the opportunities it offers for Finnish companies and professionals, Team Finland interviewed Räisänen.

A possibility to vote by post will be introduced in the parliamentary elections of spring 2019. This means that eligible voters who reside abroad permanently and eligible voters who reside in Finland but are abroad at the time of the elections may vote by post.

The Embassy of Finland in London is closed on Thursday, 6th December 2018, for Finland's Independence day. We are open normally again on Friday 7th December. Happy Independence day!

The customer service and consular section at the Embassy of Finland in London will be closed on all British and Finnish bank holidays during Christmas and New Year. Please check our opening times during the holiday season here.

The Embassy of Finland in London organized a seminar on the future prospects and challenges of artificial intelligence on 30th October at the residence of Ambassador Päivi Luostarinen.

The Embassy of Finland is organizing an event for Finnish businesses in the UK on how they can prepare for the UK’s departure from the European Union.  The event will take place on Wednesday 21 November from 9am to 10.30am at the Finnish Ambassador’s residence (address: 14 Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8 4QP), and is organized in co-operation with Business Finland and Finnish-British Chamber of Commerce.

Sixth up in our article series introducing the Honorary Consuls of Finland in the UK is James Ryeland. He was appointed as the Honorary Consul of Finland for Dover in 1994. His area covers the city of Dover and the surrounding areas. Finland has around 400 honorary consulates around the world, 20 of which in the UK.

The UK has decided to significantly reduce carbon emissions by replacing common gas boilers with more sustainable district heating options. This change in the heat infrastructure opens up opportunities for Nordic companies that can fill the lack of local expertise in this area.

Minister of Justice Antti Häkkänen will visit London on 27–28 September. The themes of the visit include election interference, topical justice affairs and the status of the UK's exit from the European Union.