Foreign Minister Tuomioja to New York for the opening week of the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly

Press release 360/2006
14 September, 2006

Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja will participate in the opening week of the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly, held in New York. The opening week’s festivities will begin on 19th September. The Finnish delegation to the General Assembly will be led by Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic, who will deliver a speech during the General Assembly. The delegation also includes Paula Lehtomäki, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development.

The traditional EU ministerial week will again take place during the General Assembly’s opening week. Foreign Minister Tuomioja will then chair a good number of meetings between EU and third countries’  foreign ministers and organisations. EU ministerial meetings are scheduled to be held with, among others, the Unites States, Japan, Russia, Iraq, China, Ukraine and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Also on the agenda are a meeting with the UN Secretary General and an EU–NATO meeting. The matters to be discussed at the meetings are, in particular, topical issues of world politics, such as the situation in the Middle East, Iraq, the nuclear conflict in Iran and Sudan. Alongside topical issues, the meetings will also deal with matters pertaining to bilateral relations.

Other meetings to be held during the ministerial week include a meeting of the Quartet members, a meeting of the six-nation Kosovo Contact Group, the traditional meeting of Nordic foreign ministers and a G8 foreign ministers’ dinner. Foreign Minister Tuomioja will deliver the EU speech to the theme session of the UN Security Council discussing UN cooperation with regional organisations. The foreign minister will act as parallel chairman at the Helsinki Process ministerial lunch, which the Presidents of Finland and Tanzania will attend as well.

He will also have bilateral meetings with, among others, the foreign ministers of Iran, Sudan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Egypt, and with the Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Together with President Tarja Halonen, Foreign Minister Tuomioja will have talks with the President and Foreign Minister of Serbia.

Further information: Head of Unit for European Common Foreign and Security, Jarno Syrjälä, tel +358 9 1605 5026, counsellor Anne Meskanen, tel. +358 9 1605 5593