Foreign Ministry's press releases

When meeting with India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry in Delhi on 6 February, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen emphasised the importance of finding as quick WTO solution as possible.

Minister of Industry and Minerals Fawzi Hariri of Iraq is visiting Finland on 9–12 February at the invitation of Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen. Minister Pekkarinen will meet with Minister Hariri on Tuesday, 10 February. The ministers will discuss bilateral relations between Finland and Iraq, and the development of trade and investment relations.

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will take part in the meeting of Nordic foreign ministers to be held in Oslo on Monday, 9 February.

During his two-day visit to Nepal, Minister Väyrynen has emphasised the importance of democracy for peaceful development and stability in the country. According to Väyrynen, the structures and forms of democracy alone are not sufficient if the political actors have not internalised the spirit of democracy.

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will make a visit to Latvia on Wednesday 4 February. The visit will be hosted by Latvian Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins. In addition to Foreign Minister Riekstins, Stubb will also meet President Valdis Zatlers in Riga.

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will participate in the annual Munich Security Conference, which takes place on 6–8 February. The issues to be discussed at this conference, the 45th Munich Security Conference, will include, among others, the future of NATO and the European security architecture, non-proliferation and nuclear weapons issues, challenges of a new world order and regional crises such as those in Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Central Caucasus and the Balkans.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen will visit Nepal on 3-5 February. During the visit, the topics of discussion will include Finland’s development cooperation as well as Nepal’s political situation and development plans. The bilateral trade and economic relations and regional and international questions will also be discussed.

Ambassador Martin Erdmann, the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, will visit Finland on 4 February.

This week, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen made a new initiative that would help implement the goals of Finland’s Development Policy Programme through wide international cooperation. The initiative aims at increasingly effective efforts to eradicate poverty by means of socially, economically and ecologically sustainable development.

In its session on Thursday, 29 January, the Government decides to give the Finnish Parliament a report on Finland’s participation in the ISAF mission to secure the arrangement of elections in Afghanistan in 2009.