Foreign Ministry's press releases

In 2016, the Foreign Ministry’s diplomatic and consular missions abroad handled about 55,000 requests for consular service.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) will have a joint stand at the Travel Fair 2017 organised at the Expo and Convention Centre in Helsinki on 19–22 January 2017. Services for travellers and instructions on travel safety and health while travelling will be presented at stand 6s61.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will attend the World Economic Forum meeting (WEF, World Economic Forum) in Davos, Switzerland on 18–20 January 2017. The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos brings together key representatives of business life, governments, international organisations and civil society.

Finland nominates Member of Parliament Ilkka Kanerva as its candidate for the next Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The term of the new Secretary General will start on 1 July 2017.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Kai Mykkänen will lead a Team Finland visit to the United Arab Emirates on 16-19 January 2017. He will be accompanied by a delegation of 20 companies representing mainly the energy and construction sectors, including smart building.

On Friday 13 January, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the conflict in Syria.

Foreign Minister Timo Soini will attend the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 16 January. The main topics on the agenda will be Syria and the Middle East peace process.

Finland will participate in a Conference for Peace in the Middle East to be held in Paris on 15 January.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will visit Ankara on 10–12 January.

Professor Eeva Furman, Chair of Finland’s Sustainable Development Expert Panel, has been selected to join the working group drafting the UN’s Global Sustainable Development Report.