Foreign Ministry's press releases

Civilian crisis management is part of the range of tools by which Finland takes part in the efforts to prevent spread of crises and their impacts. The National Strategy for Civilian Crisis Management adopted in 2008 strengthened Finland’s readiness to participate in civilian crisis management. The Government adopted the update of the National Strategy for Civilian Crisis Management on 10 April 2014.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council will convene in Luxembourg on 14 April. Finland’s representative in the meeting will be Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs will visit Finland on 15 April and meet Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. The Foreign Ministers will discuss, for example, the bilateral relations, the Baltic Sea region cooperation, and topical foreign policy issues, such as the situation in Ukraine.

Minister for International Development Pekka Haavisto will travel to Washington, D.C., on 10–12 April and to New York on 13–14 April. During his trip, Haavisto will participate in the World Bank Spring Meetings and meet UN leaders. The topics of discussion will include the post-2015 global UN development goals, currently under preparation, and the issues of peace and security.

In 2013, Finland provided EUR 1,081 million in development assistance, which corresponds to 0.56% of Finland’s gross national income (GNI). There was a slight increase in the GNI share from previous year, when it was 0.53%.

Minister for International Development Pekka Haavisto will participate in the European Roma Summit to be held in Brussels on 4 April. The Summit seeks to find means for enhancing the equal status of the Roma in EU Member States.

On Thursday 3 April 2014, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the situation in Ukraine.

Minister Stubb to Washington, D.C.

Foreign Minister Tuomioja will visit Moldova and participate in the informal meeting of EU ministers for foreign affairs in Athens

For the first time, Finland will become the chair of the group of countries and organisations providing budget support to Tanzania on 2 April. Budget support is an essential form of development assistance, and Finland will chair the cooperation concerning it in Tanzania for one year.