New ambassador to The Hague and dual accreditation to Seychelles and Somalia

On Friday 23 October, the President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Katri Viinikka to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in The Hague, Netherlands, from 1 December 2015.

Viinikka is currently Director of the Unit for UN and General Global Affairs in the Political Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.  She has also served in Finland's Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels and in the missions of Finland in Berlin and Bonn. In the Ministry, Viinikka has worked in the Department for Africa and the Middle East, the Department for Development Policy and the Unit for Human Rights Policy of the Political Department. From 2005 to 2007, she was Special Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Katri Viinikka joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1992 and took the Training Course for Newly Recruited Diplomats (Kavaku) in 1995.

The President of the Republic also decided that Tarja Fernández, Head of the Embassy of Finland in Nairobi, will be accredited to represent Finland also in Seychelles and Somalia.

Inquiries: Vesa Lehtonen, Deputy Director General for Personnel, tel. +358 295 351 439.