Foreign Ministry's press releases

The High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, has appointed Kirsi Henriksson as Deputy Managing Director of the European External Action Service's Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC).

The EU’s new restrictive measures against Russia include a ban on the import of diamonds, a tighter oil price cap and a broader scope of prohibitions on imports, exports and transit of goods. A new measure will require Russian-owned companies operating in the EU to provide notification of transfers of funds. Sanctions on individuals will be targeted at persons organising illegal elections in the territories of Ukraine, entities supporting the Russian military, and an EU citizen who has circumvented the sanctions in Finland.

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Washington D.C. on 18 December. She will meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. A Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between Finland and the United States will be signed during the visit.

In its plenary session on 14 December 2023, the Finnish Government decided to propose that the President of the Republic authorise Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, or if he is prevented from doing so, Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen, to sign a Defence Cooperation Agreement with the United States.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has issued a Decree on Fees for Services Produced by the Foreign Service for 2024.

YK:n kidutuksen vastainen komitea antoi 12. joulukuuta 2023 ratkaisun Suomea vastaan tehdyssä valitusasiassa, joka koskee turvapaikanhakijan käännyttämistä Kongon demokraattiseen tasavaltaan.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet Latvia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Krišjānis Kariņš in Helsinki on 14 December.

The N5 meeting of the Nordic Foreign Ministers will be held remotely on 13 December.

A review by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs shows that Finland’s development cooperation appropriations for Palestine have not been misdirected to terrorist organisations.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence of Finland and NATO will co-organise the NATO Hybrid Symposium at the Santahamina military base in Helsinki on 12–13 December. The event will provide an overview of the topical issue of hybrid threats.