Foreign Ministry's press releases

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), headquartered in Copenhagen, has informed the Ministry for Foreign Affairs that an internal investigation has been initiated into possible misconduct by the Chief Executive of UNOPS Sustainable Investments in Infrastructure and Innovation (S3i) initiative.

On Wednesday 13 April, the Government adopted a report on changes in the security environment and submitted it to Parliament for consideration. The report assesses fundamental changes in Finland's foreign and security policy environment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The report does not include any conclusions or present new security policy guidelines.

The war in Ukraine increases hunger and malnutrition in other parts of the world. Finland allocates EUR 26.1 million to domestic and international organisations for their humanitarian response in countries such as Somalia, Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On 12 April, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released preliminary data on development assistance by the EU Member States that are members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Finland’s official development cooperation expenditure in 2021 amounted to EUR 1214 million. Compared to the previous year, the highest increase was reported in development policy investments.

Participation in the European Football Championships attracted the most attention for Finland around the world last year, according to a media review by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. At the same time, the top themes of previous years continued in the global press: Finland’s societal strengths, happiness and the response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will attend the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday 11 April 2022. The main topics on the agenda will be Russian aggression against Ukraine and the new European strategy ‘Global Gateway’.

Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will visit Copenhagen on 7–8 April.

NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs will meet in Brussels on 6–7 April 2022. The meeting will focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO’s Strategic Concept and the international security situation.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will attend the Moldova Support Conference and a meeting of Nordic Foreign Ministers and the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs in Berlin on 5 April.

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly will visit Finland on 4 April and have a meeting with Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.