Press releases, 21.8.2015

Heads of Mission meet in Helsinki

Press release 193/2015
21 August 2015

Negotiations concerning financial assistance to Greece, controlling the refugee flows from the Middle East and Africa to Europe, developing trade relations in the emerging economies in Asia and Africa, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, measures relating to Nepal's earthquake recovery... The international situation continues to be difficult and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs takes part in the developments and works to the benefit of Finland and the Finns.

Next week will be full of interesting discussions, when the Heads of Finland's diplomatic and consular missions abroad gather to their annual meeting at the Annexe to the Parliament Building (Pikkuparlamentti) in Helsinki.

The Annual Meeting of Heads of Mission will be organised on 24–26 August and part of the programme is public (more detailed information is given below). Speakers in the event include, among others, Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development  Lenita Toivakka, President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, Minister of Finance Alexander Stubb, and Minister or Defence Jussi Niinistö. The meeting will be opened by Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Peter Stenlund.

Live webcasts of the speeches will be available at http://cloud.magneetto.com/formin/2015_0824_SLSK15/angular(Link to another website.). The meeting can be followed on Twitter using the hashtag #slsk15, and pictures of the event will be posted on the Foreign Ministry's Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/ulkoministerio(Link to another website.).

Video recordings, speeches and press releases will be available afterwards on the Foreign Ministry's website at http://formin.finland.fi(Link to another website.).

Public programme of the meeting

Monday 24 August

8:45–9:15 Opening of the meeting
- Secretary of State Peter Stenlund (public)
9:30–11:00 Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini (public)
- Discussion (non-public)
11:30–12:30 Speech by Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lenita Toivakka (public)
- Discussion (non-public)
14:00–14:45 Speech by Prime Minister Juha Sipilä (public)
- Discussion (non-public)
14:45–15:15 Speech by Minister of Finance Alexander Stubb (public)
- Discussion (non-public)
15:15–16:00 A look at the centenary of Finland's  independence
- Pekka Timonen, General Secretary of the centenary board, Prime Minister's Office
- Ambassador Pekka Huhtaniemi, Advisory Group at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Tuesday 25 August

10:00–11:00 Speech by President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö (public)
- Discussion (non-public)
11:15–12:00 Speech by Minister of Defence Jussi Niinistö (public)
- Discussion (non-public)

Finland has a total of 88 diplomatic or consular missions or offices in different countries of the world. The number of career officials posted from Helsinki to work in the missions is 554. The majority of the missions employ 2 to 4 public officials. In addition, the missions have about 1,000 locally hired employees.

The missions of Finland in the different parts of the world serve the Finns and Finnish society at a relatively low expense. The missions expenses in 2014 totalled EUR 159 million, which means that every Finnish citizen pays about 33 cents per year for the maintenance of one mission abroad.

The network of Finland's diplomatic and consular missions abroad with their services is available for the entire Finnish society and all Finnish citizens. The spectrum of tasks ranges from management of intergovernmental relations to assistance of individual citizens.

Inquiries: Virpi Kukkasniemi-Leino, Adviser to the Under-Secretary of State for Internal and External Services, tel. +358 295 351 081.
Requests for interview: Mari Lankinen, Content and Communications Specialist, tel. +358 295 350 642.

 New Heads of Mission 2015