Current affairs

Finland’s Ambassador to Thailand Lars Backström has been granted a visa to Myanmar. The visa will enter into force on Sunday 11 May.

Finland responds to the urgent need of assistance caused by the Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen decided on 7 May about channelling emergency assistance amounting to EUR 300,000 to the area through the Finnish Red Cross.

According to the recent data of the official sources of Myanmar, the number of people killed by or missing as a result of the Cyclone Nargis that ravaged Myanmar on the weekend of 3-4 May is already counted in tens of thousands. There are 24 million people living in the disaster area in Myanmar, many of whom are in need of assistance, says Lars Backström, Finland’s Ambassador to Thailand.

The EU Troika had a meeting with Myanmar’s Foreign Minister U Nyan Win on Sunday, 10 September, in Helsinki in connection with the ASEM Summit. “We reiterated the EU’s well-known position with regard to the lack of democratic reforms and human rights in Myanmar”, said Under Secretary of State Markus Lyra who represented the EU Presidency in the troika meeting.