Current affairs
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3.5.2026
World Press Freedom Day highlights importance of freedom of expression for democracy and security
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.
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30.4.2026
Residence permit services in the Middle East
The security situation in the Middle East affects the operation of Finland's missions and VFS application centres in the region. The availability of services may be temporarily limited.
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28.4.2026
Crisis Management NOW – Serving peace 70 years and beyond
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and its partners will organise the Crisis Management NOW event focusing on crisis management and peacebuilding on Tuesday 5 May.
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21.4.2026
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14.4.2026
Joint statement on latest developments in Lebanon
The joint statement calls for the inclusion of Lebanon in the regional efforts to de escalate the situation in the Middle East. It also welcomes the talks between Israel and Lebanon facilitated by the United States, and condemns Hezbollah’s attacks against Israel and Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
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1.4.2026
Joint statement on the situation in Lebanon
A joint statement of fourteen countries on the situation in Lebanon.
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30.3.2026
Finland to grant humanitarian assistance to Lebanon
Finland will grant two million euros in humanitarian assistance to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR’s operation in Lebanon to support refugees and internally displaced persons.
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25.2.2026
President Alexander Stubb and security policy drew global attention to Finland in 2025
Security policy topics, which have dominated international coverage on Finland since 2022, continued as the key theme in 2025. The number of news headlines about Finland was lower than the previous year, but President of the Republic Alexander Stubb assumed a significantly more visible role on the international stage. Country brand surveys indicate that Finland’s brand has become more positive, and awareness of Finland has increased since 2024. However, Finland’s positive image development has not fully kept pace with other countries.
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11.2.2026
Foreign Ministry’s consular services assist over 245,000 Finns around the world in 2025
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish missions abroad provided consular services to approximately 245,000 customers in 2025. In addition, the Ministry’s 24/7 service was contacted around 6,700 times over the course of the year.
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2.1.2026
Unified export promotion network serves Finnish companies worldwide
As of 1 January, the foreign operations of Business Finland related to export promotion have been integrated into the structures of the Finnish Foreign Service. The reform will strengthen the Team Finland network and provide a better platform for a unified team for export promotion.