Foreign Ministry's press releases

The EU Foreign Affairs Council will meet in Brussels on 22 November. The main items on the agenda are the current challenges faced in Sudan, the Middle East and Burma/Myanmar. Finland will be represented in the Council by Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen, who is making an export promotion trip to Ekaterinburg on 16–19 November, considers Ekaterinburg and the surrounding Sverdlovsk oblast one of the most important areas in Russia where it would be worthwhile for Finnish companies to expand their operations.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will visit South Korea and Japan on 21-26 November to promote export and globalization.

According to Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, Finland has good and solid relations with Russia. In his speech given in the event celebrating the 90 years of Finnish-Russian diplomatic relations the Minister said we are on our way towards deeper bilateral networking. Stubb remarked that Finnish-Russian relations need not be

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will make an export promotion trip to Ekaterinburg on 16-19 November. Minister Väyrynen will travel with an unprecedentedly large business delegation including more than 50 representatives of Finnish enterprises and organizations, assembled by the Finnish-Russian Chamber of Commerce.

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will make a visit to Copenhagen on Tuesday, 16 November.

President of the Republic Tarja Halonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb and Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies will participate in the summit meeting on Afghanistan organised in connection with the NATO Summit in Lisbon on Saturday, 20 November.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will visit Brussels on 14-15 November. Väyrynen will meet with Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva on Monday.

Thomas Mirow, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will visit Finland on 15 November. The visit is linked with the EBRD’s custom of keeping in touch with its member countries, the aim being to exchange views on international economic affairs and topical EBRD issues.

In the view of Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, the European Union needs a new approach in its foreign policy.