Foreign Ministry's press releases

In his speech at the Annual Meeting of Finnish Heads of Mission for 2011, given on 22 August, Secretary of State Pertti Torstila concentrated on changes in diplomacy and the new challenges facing the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Ministry must be able to adapt and exert influence on the surrounding world, using new means, Torstila said.

Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos will visit Finland on 22–23 August.

The Annual Meeting of Heads of Missions held by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be opened on Monday, 22 August, and Ministers Erkki Tuomioja, Alexander Stubb and Heidi Hautala will each deliver a policy address then. The programme also includes speeches by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen, Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen and Minister of Finance Jutta Urpilainen. The foreign keynote speaker at the meeting will be Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland.

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb will be a guest speaker on Monday, 22 August at the Annual Meeting of Heads of Missions organised by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is the first time a guest speaker from abroad has been invited to Estonia’s Annual Meeting of Heads of Missions. In his speech Minister Stubb will take up changes in the global economy and the international situation and the measures these require.

Estonia is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its re-independence on Saturday, August 20. In connection with the anniversary the Estonian Foreign Ministry and the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute are organizing a high-level roundtable discussion on Estonia’s past 20 years and the challenges that lie ahead over the next few decades.

All Finnish consuls in Caribbean states have been very active in recent times, supporting Finnish projects in various fields and promoting cooperation in the education sector, in sustainable development and in environmental policy, said Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja at the meeting of Finland’s Honorary Consuls.

The President of the Republic decided today on 12 August to submit to Parliament a government proposal on Finland’s accession to the Ottawa Convention on the prohibition of anti-personnel mines. Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja says the Ottawa Mines Convention was a great victory for civic engagement.

The group of 20 young journalists invited to Finland by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be visiting Turku on 3–4 August and Naantali on 5 August. The visits are part of the Foreign Correspondents’ Programme (FCP), a media training course organized by the Ministry for newly graduated or graduating journalism students.

Finland strongly condemns the killing and violence against the civilian population and the widespread summary arrests in Syria. The common message from the international community to Syria is very important. Finland fully supports the implementation of the EU’s common positions, including decisions on sanctions. Where necessary we are also prepared to step up sanctions.

Under a decision issued by Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has pledged to deliver humanitarian aid worth 5 million euros to the victims of the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa region. UN estimates are that 12.4 million people are in urgent need of emergency assistance.