Foreign Ministry's press releases

Ambassador Klaus Korhonen has been elected as President of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) for the period of 2016–2017. The election took place in the Conference of States Parties (CSP) in Geneva on Thursday, 25 August 2016. The presidency will last for one year, ending in September 2017 at the third CSP.

On Thursday 25 August, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the tense situation between Russia and Ukraine. Finland supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia.

The Nordic and Baltic Foreign Ministers will gather at a foreign ministerial NB8 meeting in Riga, Latvia, on 25–26 August 2016. Finland's representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will organise a thisisFINLAND Foreign Correspondents' Programme Alumni Meeting on 22–28 August 2016.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Culture, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment are collaborating in the promotion of education export. Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Marianne Huusko has been appointed Chief Specialist in Education Export starting on 1 September.

The Heads of Finnish Missions abroad convene for their Annual Meeting in the Little Parliament in Helsinki on 22–25 August.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini considers that the ability of Jarmo Viinanen, Ambassador of Finland to Stockholm, to carry out his duties is impaired to the extent that Ambassador Viinanen should be transferred to the Ministry in a accelerated schedule.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Timo Soini and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallström meet in Stockholm on Wednesday 17 August.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ 2017 budget proposal for its administrative branch totals EUR 1,073 million.

Ambassador Tuula Yrjölä has been appointed Head of the Tajikistan Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE. The appointment, which will become effective as of 1 October 2016, was made by Germany, the country holding the OSCE Chairmanship in 2016.