Foreign Ministry's press releases

On Thursday 20 December, the Government submitted to Parliament a report on Finnish security and defence policy 2012. The Government Security and Defence Policy Report is built on the comprehensive concept of security, in accordance with the Government Programme. The Report gives special attention to themes in which significant changes have occurred since the previous report issued in 2009.

Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala will host a high-level meeting with an aim to promote innovative financing for development in New York on Monday 17 December.

Foreign Minister of Turkey Ahmet Davutoğlu will visit Finland on 19 December at the invitation of Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Erkki Tuomioja met today 13 of December Mr. Kenji Shinoda, Ambassador of Japan, in courtesy call. Minister Tuomioja and Ambassador Shinoda discussed the Finnish-Japanese relations and current international political and economic issues, including security issues in Asia.

Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala will meet Jim Kim, the new President of the World Bank Group, in Stockholm at the Governors’ Meeting of the Nordic-Baltic Constituency, to be held today 11 December. Minister Hautala is the Alternate Governor of Finland to the World Bank.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council will convene in Brussels on 10 December. Finland will be represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja. The topics of discussion at the meeting include Russia, the Middle East peace process, Western Balkans, EU’s southern neighbourhood and EU-US relations.

The development and finance ministers of OECD member countries and emerging economies outlined future measures for reducing global poverty and inequality at the High Level Meeting that ended today in London.

Foreign Minister Tuomioja will participate in the meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Dublin on 6 December. The goal of the meeting is to strengthen the status of the OSCE as a full-scale security organisation and enhance the implementation of the organisation’s commitments.

Secretary of state summoned Ambassador of Israel concerning settlement decision

Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala will participate in the High Level Meeting of OECD and its Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in London on 4 to 5 December. The participants will discuss the UN-led effort to identify a successor framework for the Millennium Development Goals for reduction of poverty and inequality and strengthening sustainable development beyond 2015. 2015 is the deadline for implementation of the present Millennium Development Goals.