Foreign Ministry's press releases

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen has selected Hanna Saarni (aged 28) to be his new Press Attaché. Saarni holds a Master’s degree in law. She leaves employment at the Kotka Unit of Kymenlaakso Register Office to take up her post at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on 4 February.

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb delivered a speech on the relationship between the European Union and the United States at Chatham House in London on 27 January. In Stubb’s view, the trend of development in EU-US relations has been favourable in recent years. In the emerging multipolar world, however, common values are not enough. Minister Stubb presented five concrete proposals for strengthening the transatlantic partnership.

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb is visiting in London on 27–28 January. On Thursday he will take part in the international conference on Afghanistan, where the situation in Afghanistan and support for the country will be discussed widely.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will attend the Opening Ceremony of the Foreign Ministers meeting of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 28 January. The meeting will make preparations for the Assembly of the African Union, to be held at the level of Heads of State and Government.

On 22 January, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland's contribution to the stabilisation and reconstruction process of Afghanistan.

The Foreign Affairs Council of the EU will meet in Brussels on 25 January. The main topics of discussion include the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti and Yemen. Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will represent Finland at the meeting. A meeting of the General Affairs Council will be held in Brussels on the same day. Spain will present its Presidency programme at that meeting, where Minister of Migration and European Affairs Astrid Thors will represent Finland.

The Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of Iran, Hossein Ali Zadeh, was summoned on 21 January to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, owing to the human rights situation in Iran.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen has decided today, 21 January, to grant additional funds for humanitarian assistance to the earthquake victims in Haiti. The grant of 3.75 million euros is based on the UN aid system’s joint appeal for emergency assistance on 15 January and the additional needs reported by the Finnish Red Cross and Finn Church Aid.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will attend the “Agriculture and Forestry in Russia” seminar to be held in St. Petersburg on 20 January. The seminar is organized by the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) of Finland and the Association of Farms and Agricultural Cooperatives of Russia (AKKOR). At the seminar, Minister Väyrynen will give a talk on the role of agriculture and forestry in trade between Finland and Russia.

The first meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Finland will be held in Rovaniemi on 26–27 January. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will open the meeting on Tuesday, 26 January. Väyrynen will also meet with Luis Alberto Moreno, President of the IDB.