Current affairs
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12.6.2024
Latvian Foreign Minister to visit Finland
Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia Baiba Braže in Helsinki on 13 June. Braže was appointed as Foreign Minister in April.
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7.6.2024
Foreign ministers of Baltic Sea States to meet in Porvoo
Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will host the Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) in Porvoo on 13–14 June.
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7.6.2024
In European elections, 15,221 voters cast their vote at advance polling stations abroad
A total of 15,071 persons visited the Finnish diplomatic and consular missions abroad to vote in advance in the elections to the European Parliament. Altogether 150 crew members voted on board Finnish vessels. In the 2019 European elections, 16,547 persons voted abroad at the Finnish missions and on board vessels.
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22.5.2024
Schengen visa fees to increase in June
The European Commission decided on 22 May 2024 to increase Schengen visa fees as of 11 June 2024. The increase will apply worldwide.
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9.4.2024
Foreign Minister Valtonen to attend NB8 meeting in Visby
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend a meeting of Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers in the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) forum in Visby, Sweden, on 9–10 April.
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9.2.2024
In the second round of presidential election, 62,294 people vote at advance polling stations abroad
In the second round of the presidential election, a total of 62,294 people cast their vote in advance at Finland’s missions abroad. Altogether 220 crew members voted on board Finnish vessels.
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25.1.2024
58,757 votes cast at advance polling stations abroad
A total of 58,757 persons cast their vote in advance in the presidential election at Finland’s missions abroad. The number of crew members who voted on board Finnish vessels was 223.
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19.1.2024
Travel doesn’t always go smoothly – the Ministry for Foreign Affairs helps travellers around the world
In 2023, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the missions abroad provided consular services to approximately 244,000 customers. The demand for advisory services remained high. Over the course of the year, the Ministry’s 24/7 service was contacted around 8,000 times in total.
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14.12.2023
Government proposes signature of defence cooperation agreement between Finland and United States
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.
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14.12.2023
Prices of chargeable services laid down in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Decree on Fees for Services of the Foreign Service to remain unchanged in 2024
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has issued a Decree on Fees for Services Produced by the Foreign Service for 2024.