Foreign Ministry's press releases

In a written procedure on Tuesday, 17 November, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed a formal request submitted by France to other EU member states to express solidarity with France in the fight against Europe's common enemy. The request is based on the mutual assistance clause (article 42.7) of the Treaty of the European Union.

Ukraine’s accession to the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was endorsed by WTO members in Geneva on 11 November 2015. Ukraine intends to ratify the Agreement as soon as possible, by 11 May 2016 at the latest, when the Agreement officially enters into force.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will attend the meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels on Tuesday 17 September. The agenda highlights will include, among other things, preparation for the December European Council and the Commission's work programme. In addition, the Ministers will exchange views on how to promote and safeguard the rule of law.

Finland will contribute EUR 300,000 in 2015–2017 to the Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), implemented by the UN Children's Fund UNICEF and the UN Population Fund UNFPA. The joint programme aims to prevent the practice of cutting girls' and women's genitalia.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland will organize the second Conference on Non-Formal Dialogue Processes and National Dialogues in Helsinki, Finland, on 16–18 November 2015.

The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on a communications procedure will enter into force for Finland 12 February 2016. Finland deposited the instrument of ratification concerning the Optional Protocol with the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 12 November 2015.

The EU Foreign Ministers will convene at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 16 November. Finland's representative in the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini. The agenda highlights are the Middle East peace process, migration, Syria and the EU's Eastern Partners.

The Valletta Summit agreed about the establishment of an EU Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa at the Valletta Summit on Thursday.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lenita Toivakka will visit Vienna, Austria, and hold a speech at the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation) Security Days on 13 November.

The Government appointed a new Development Policy Committee for 2016–2019 on 12 November. Aila Paloniemi, MP, (Centre Party) was appointed Chairperson of the Committee. The Committee membership represents all the political parties in the Finnish Parliament as well as interest groups and stakeholders that are central from the point of view of development policy.