Foreign Minister of Australia to visit Finland

Press release 373/2006
22 September, 2006

Alexander Downer, the Foreign Minister of Australia, will visit Finland on 25–27 September. Mr. Downer will participate in the EU–Australia Meeting of Foreign Ministers, chaired by his Finnish counterpart, Erkki Tuomioja. Among the topics on the agenda of the meeting are cooperation between the European Union and Australia, issues of regional security in Asia and current international issues. The EU–Australian Meeting of Foreign Ministers will be held in the established Troika composition, made up of the EU Presidency, the Secretariat of the Council of the EU and the European Commission.

After the EU meeting, Foreign Minister Downer will have official bilateral talks with Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. The topics of the official talks between the two foreign ministers include bilateral relations, topical issues of the Pacific region and UN affairs.

In addition, Foreign Minister Downer will meet with President Tarja Halonen and will give a lecture entitled “Meeting Global Challenges: Australia and Europe” within the EU–Presidency Series of lectures at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

Additional information: First Secretary Jari Sinkari, Unit for Asia and Oceania, Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6322