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.

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.