Current affairs

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs requests opinions on the draft Decree of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Fees for Services Produced by the Foreign Service in 2023. The consultation round will be open until 7 December 2022. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs proposes an increase of EUR 20 to the fee for the EU Emergency Travel Document (ETD) issued to EU citizens.

Recent crises underline the importance of development cooperation as a key instrument of foreign and security policy, according to Finland’s Development Policy Results Report submitted to Parliament on 9 November.

Finland will support the grain shipments of the World Food Programme (WFP) from Ukraine to Somalia. At the same time, Finland will increase its humanitarian assistance to the Horn of Africa, where more than 20 million people are in need of urgent food aid.

On 29 September 2022, the Finnish Government issued a resolution to significantly restrict the entry of Russian tourists into Finland. The entry restrictions will enter into force on 30 September 2022 at 00.00, and they will remain in force until further notice.

The high-level meetings of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 77) will start in New York on Monday 19 September. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto and Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will attend ministerial events in New York and have bilateral meetings with their counterparts and with representatives of the UN. Minister Skinnari also has Team Finland programme.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold its 51th regular session from 12 September to 7 October. This is the third session during Finland’s three-year membership in the Human Rights Council. Finland will continue its long-standing commitment to the promotion of universal human rights.

In the supplementary budget in July, the Government allocated additional funds to Ukraine amounting to EUR 70 million. Half of these funds has now been granted to improving food security and reproductive health services, ensuring the payment of teachers’ salaries, and to providing accommodation in Ukraine for those who have lost their homes.

The Embassy of Finland in Teheran is looking for a Commercial Advisor as temporary replacement

The Embassy of Finland in Teheran is looking for an Assistant to the Ambassador

The NATO member countries signed the Accession Protocols concerning Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 5 February, making Finland and Sweden invitees of the Alliance. The Accession Protocols must next be ratified in each member country for Finland and Sweden to become members.