Current affairs

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania Igli Hasani in Helsinki on 12 June.

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.

The European Commission decided on 22 May 2024 to increase Schengen visa fees as of 11 June 2024. The increase will apply worldwide.

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.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will attend the meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers in Brussels on 3–4 April.

The request for participation, instructions for responding and contact details regarding the competitive procedure are available for service providers in the HILMA official service for notices on public procurement in Finland. Service providers are requested to submit their responses by 2 May 2024.

The President of the Republic of Finland approved the NATO Status of Forces Agreement and the Paris Protocol on 22 March 2024. The President of the Republic confirmed the acts for acceptance and bringing into force of the agreements as well as related amendments to certain national acts.

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.

Marie-Doha Besancenot, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, visited Helsinki on 4–5 February.

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.