Foreign Ministry's press releases

Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja will participate in the joint Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8), and Visegrád Group (V4) being held in Narva, Estonia on 6–7 March 2014. The main topic of discussion at the meeting will be the situation in Ukraine, Russia and the Eastern Partnership.

Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende are visiting in Kiev on 5–6 March. The Foreign Ministers will meet, among others, with Aleksandr Turtšinov, Acting President of Ukraine, members of the new Government, representatives of the opposition and members of the Ukrainian Parliament.

Foreign Minister Tuomioja to attend the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon in Paris

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has considered the periodic report of Finland regarding the elimination of such discrimination, submitted in accordance with the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Finland is of the opinion that the current situation in Ukraine is very severe. Use of force and threat thereof are to be condemned. They are in breach of the UN Charter and international law. The President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the situation in Ukraine on 2 March.

Peter Stenlund has taken up his new position as Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on 1 March now that Pertti Torstila has retired.

Foreign Minister of Norway Børge Brende will visit Finland on Thursday 6 March and meet Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. The Foreign Ministers will discuss, for example, topical foreign policy issues such as Ukraine and Eastern Partnership; regional cooperation; crisis management and mediation; Nordic foreign and security policy cooperation; and Arctic issues.

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb will attend the Informal Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) in Athens on 27–28 February. The main issue of the meeting is the EU–USA Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement.

On Wednesday 26 February, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland's participation in the EU's military crisis management operation in the Central African Republic (EUFOR RCA).

Minister Stubb to Barcelona