Foreign Ministry's press releases

Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb will attend the first high-level International Iraq Compact Annual Review Conference, to be held in Stockholm on Thursday, 29 May 2008.

This year, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its establishment. The main event of the spring, an anniversary seminar for invited guests, will be held at the Helsinki University on Tuesday 27 May. On the same date 90 years ago, the Senate of J.K. Paasikivi was formed, marking, at the same time, the appointment of the first Foreign Minister of Finland, Otto Stenroth.

On Friday, 23 May, the President of the Republic and the Cabinet Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed Finland’s participation in the Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions, taking place in Dublin on 19-30 May 2008, and in international crisis management.

Eva Biaudet, the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, will convene international organizations involved in combat against trafficking in human beings and the OSCE participating states to a high-level conference in Vienna on 26-27 May. The conference will address measures and challenges of combating human trafficking in children at a local level. Astrid Thors, Minister of Migration and European Affairs, will represent Finland in the conference.

The EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) will meet on 26 and 27 May in Brussels. Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen and Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies will represent Finland at the GAERC meeting.

The OSCE has a vital role in addressing the challenges arising from increasing maritime and inland waterways traffic, and the Organization is uniquely placed to support co-operation and foster the exchange of knowledge and experiences, heard participants at a forum which opened in Prague today.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen made today a decision to grant EUR 500,000 in response to the emergency appeal the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC, launched due to the earthquake in China, to be administered through the Finnish Red Cross.

At is meeting on Friday, 16 May the Cabinet Committee on European Union Affairs discussed the European External Action Service (EEAS) proposed in the Treaty of Lisbon. The goal is to strengthen the European Union’s role in international politics.

Minister of Migration and European Affairs Astrid Thors will open the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum in Prague on Monday, 19 May. The theme of the Forum is “Maritime and inland waterways co-operation in the OSCE area: Increasing security and protecting the environment” .

Paavo Väyrynen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, will make an export promotion trip to Murmansk, Russia on 20–22 May.