Foreign Ministry's press releases

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

This week Finland will play host to more than 50 startupers from developing markets. The set goal is to establish contacts between players in developing countries and Finland, and give competent people from developing countries a chance to network and find international financing.

The nation-wide Ahtisaari Days will be celebrated starting on 9 November 2015. This annual peace mediation event is now organised for the fifth time. This year, the main events will take place in Rovaniemi.

Start Up to Scale Up: Global Innovations for Children and Youth Summit, organised by UNICEF and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, begins this coming Monday. The Summit brings some of the world's top experts to Helsinki for two days. The aim of the event is to develop solutions benefiting the world’s most disadvantaged children.

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien will visit Finland on Tuesday 10 November and meet Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lenita Toivakka.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will meet Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin in Helsinki on Sunday 8 November 2015. This is the Ministers' first meeting.

The Foreign Service announces vacancies for six (6) experts in international business in certain Embassies and Consulates General of Finland for fixed-term employment relationships for a period of three (3) years, as of the beginning of next year. These experts will be posted to Singapore, Ottawa, Los Angeles/Palo Alto, New York and at the premises of the Honorary Consulate of Finland in Istanbul, this post being subordinate to the Embassy of Finland in Ankara.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lenita Toivakka will be accompanied by a delegation of nearly 40 business representatives on a Team Finland mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 31 October to 2 November and to Saudi Arabia from 2 to 4 November. The delegation comprises representatives from healthcare, education and cleantech businesses.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lenita Toivakka and Minister for Nordic Cooperation Anne Berner will participate in Nordic ministerial meetings in Reykjavik on 27–28 October 2015.

A delegation led by Under-Secretary of State for external economic relations Matti Anttonen will visit Iran on 25–28 October. The delegation comprises eight representatives of different institutions.