The Government proposes new ambassadorial appointments
Press release 75/2011
3 March 2011
On Thursday 3 March, the Government decided to propose to the President of the Republic six new appointments. The President of the Republic will appoint the Ambassadors in the presidential session on Friday 4 March.
Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Pekka Orpana as Head of the Finnish Embassy in Beograd, Serbia, as from 1 September 2011.
Orpana will move to Beograd from Lima, Peru, where he has served as Head of Mission since 2007. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1981 and has worked in the Legal and Political Departments as well as in the Department for External Economic Relations and the Department for Europe, where he served as Head of the Unit for Central and South-Western Europe in 2002–2007. He has also served in the Finnish Embassies in Alger, London and Pretoria as well as in the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN in New York.
Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Juha Virtanen as Head of the Finnish Embassy in Lima, Peru, as from 1 September 2011.
Virtanen has held his current position as Head of the Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean since 2008. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1987 and has served in the Political Department, where he worked, for example, as European Correspondent, as well as in the Legal Department and the Secretariat for Finland’s EU Presidency. Virtanen has also served in Finland's Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and in the Finnish missions in Madrid, St Petersburg and Paris, where he was Minister in 2005–2008.
Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Sofie From-Emmesberger as Head of the Finnish Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, as from 1 September 2011.
From-Emmesberger will move to the Embassy in Nairobi from the Political Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, where she has served as Head of the Unit for Human Rights Policy since 2008. From-Emmesberger joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1996. In addition to the Political Department, she has served in the Department for External Economic Relations, Legal Department and Department for Africa and the Middle East. She has also served in the Finnish Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and in the Finnish Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Christina Harttila as Head of the Finnish Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, as from 1 September 2011.
Harttila will move to Rabat from the Department for Europe where she has served as Head of the Unit for Central, Western and Southern Europe since 2007. She joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1981. In addition to the Department for Europe, she has served in various positions in the Department for External Economic Relations, including as Head of Unit in 1999–2002, and in the Department for Development Policy, Political Department and Protocol Department. Harttila has served in the Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva and in the Permanent Mission of Finland to the OSCE in Vienna.
Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Matti Kääriäinen as Head of the Finnish Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique, as from 1 September 2011.
Kääriäinen has served as Counsellor in the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia since 2008. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1974. He has served as Director of the Division for Multilateral Development Affairs and as Deputy Director General in the Department for Development Policy and as Deputy Director General of the Department for Global Affairs. In 1994–1998, Kääriäinen served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in the Finnish Embassies in Lusaka and Maputo; in 1998-2000 he served as Minister Counsellor in the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN in New York and as Deputy Permanent Representative in 1998–2000. In 2003–2007 he served as Ambassador in the Finnish Embassy in Nairobi. Kääriäinen has also performed planning and evaluation tasks in the Ministry's Department for Development Policy.
Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Päivi Luostarinen as Head of the Finnish Embassy in Berlin, Germany, as from 1 June 2011.
Luostarinen has served as Director General of the Department for Europe since 2008. She joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1981 and has held positions in the Legal, Political and Administrative Departments as well as in the Department for External Economic Relations. She has served as Deputy Director General of the Department for the Americas and Asia twice, last in 2007–2008, and also as Director General in the same department. In 2000–2001, Luostarinen worked as Deputy Director General of the Department for External Economic Relations. In the years 1996–2000, she was Deputy Director General of Finland’s EU Secretariat in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. She has also served as Coordinator for UN Reforms in the Department for Global Affairs. In addition, she has served in the Permanent Mission of Finland to the UN in New York and in Finland's Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels.
Luostarinen also served as a cabinet member for Commissioner Erkki Liikanen in the European Commission in Brussels in 1995–1996. In 2005–2006, she held the position of Chief Policy Adviser in the Confederation of Finnish Industries.