Foreign Ministry's press releases

Info-Finlandia.ru, an Internet service for Russian speakers, publishing information about Finland in Russian, was officially launched by Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb on 7 April. The decision to release the website was made by the Finland Promotion Board and the Foreign Ministry. The site has been created by the Institute for Russian and Eastern European Studies and the Ministry´s Department for Communication and Culture, but the articles are compiled by Finnish cooperation partners.

According to information available at present, there were no Finnish victims in the earthquake that occurred early this morning in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, in and around the town of L’Aquila.

In accordance with a decree given by the President of the Republic today, 3 April, a foreign mission will be established in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on 1 September.

Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will visit Finland on 6–7 April.

On Friday, 3 April, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the Government action plan on Russia, currently under preparation.

EU Heads of State or Government and the new President of the United States, Barack Obama, will meet in Prague on Sunday, 5 April, for an informal summit organised by the Czech EU Presidency. The EU Foreign Ministers and the US Foreign Minister, Hillary Clinton, will hold a separate meeting over lunch in the context of the summit. President of the Republic Tarja Halonen, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will represent Finland at the meeting.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen has lauched a video blog, or V-blog, on 2 April 2009. In his V-blog the minister intends to discuss topical issues pertaining to his sector a couple of times a month. In his first video Minister Väyrynen comments, among other things, on the G20 meeting now in progress in London.

Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal, 'Prachanda', will visit Finland on 1-3 April at the invitation of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. The Prime Ministers will meet on Thursday, 2 April. During his visit to Finland, Prime Minister Dahal will also have meetings with President Tarja Halonen and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen.

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will attend the International Conference on Afghanistan: a Comprehensive Strategy in a Regional Context, to take place in The Hague on Tuesday, 31 March. This conference is a continuation in the series of conferences, held in Bonn, London and Paris since 2002, where the international community has reaffirmed its comprehensive and long-term commitment to Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will make a visit to Lithuania on Monday 30 March. The visit will be hosted by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Vygaudas Ušackas.