Foreign Ministry's press releases

On Friday 11 December, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed concrete measures in response to the request for aid and assistance submitted by France, following the terrorist attacks in Paris.

The EU Foreign Ministers will convene at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 14 December. Finland's representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini. The agenda highlights will include the EU's Eastern Partnership, counter-terrorism, Libya, Iraq, and the cooperation between the EU and Turkey in international issues.

Finland is launching an initiative in cooperation with Sweden and the United Nations Population Fund UNFPA to protect the rights of women and girls in Myanmar. Finland's share of the joint initiative of EUR 10.8 million will be EUR 3.65 million.

Foreign Minister Timo Soini spoke at the 60th anniversary celebrations of Finland's membership of the UN at Finlandia Hall on Wednesday 9 December. He appealed to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by saying that Finland wishes to see mediation and dialogue at the forefront of the UN's work.

Secretary of State Peter Stenlund will attend the inauguration of the newly-elected President of Argentine, centre-right Mauricio Macri, in Buenos Aires on 10 December 2015.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will mark the 60th anniversary of Finland's membership of the UN at Finlandia Hall on Wednesday 9 December. The main keynote speech at the event will be held by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will visit Finland on Wednesday 9 December. High Commissioner Guterres will meet Prime Minister Juha Sipilä, Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini, Minister of the Interior Petteri Orpo and representatives of Finnish civil society organisations.

Anne Berner, minister in charge of Nordic cooperation, has invited Risto E.J. Penttilä, President and CEO of the Finland Chamber of Commerce, to represent Finland in the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Freedom of Movement Council for a term ending at the end of 2017. Penttilä will chair the Freedom of Movement Council during Finland’s Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2016.

Finland took over the Plenary Chair of the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies (Wassenaar Arrangement, WA) at its annual plenary meeting in Vienna on 2—3 December. The chairmanship will start on 1 January 2016 and end at the Plenary to be arranged at the end of the year. Ambassador Anu Laamanen, Finland's Permanent Representative to the UN in Vienna, will serve as the Plenary Chair during Finland's chairmanship.

Today Finland is the first country in the world to publish its own set of country themed emojis. The Finland emojis illustrate Finnish emotions and strengths, as well as vices, and are part of the Christmas calendar published by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on ThisisFINLAND, the country brand website.