Foreign Ministry's press releases

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has granted EUR 2 million in general grants to Finnish civil society organisations (CSOs) linked with the UN for their basic operations and for their development communications and globalisation education in 2023–2024. Support was granted to five CSOs.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has awarded EUR 2.2 million in government grants for Finnish civil society organisations’ communications and global education projects in 2023–2024. The grants aim to increase awareness and knowledge in Finland of the challenges of global development and of international cooperation as a response to these challenges.

Education sector representatives from the Asian Development Bank and from Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan are visiting Finland from 22 to 24 March 2023. The aim of the visit is to deepen cooperation in matters related to teacher education, school meals and digital learning.

On 23 March 2023, President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö decided that Finland would commit itself to the North Atlantic Treaty and the Ottawa Agreement, which were accepted by Parliament on 1 March 2023. The presenting minister was Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto. The President of the Republic also confirmed the acts bringing into force the Treaty and the Agreement.

On 9 March, the National Enforcement Authority Finland imposed interim measures to freeze a shipment of fertilisers, loaded on board at the Port of Kotka. The fertilizers were suspected of being under control of a person listed in the EU sanctions against Russia. An investigation, carried out in cooperation among authorities, confirmed the link between the shipment of fertilisers and a sanctioned individual.

The Finnish missions and embassies report that following the application for NATO membership and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Finland’s political leaders featured prominently in the international media. In 2021, it was Finnish athletes who received most mentions in the international news media, but last year President Sauli Niinistö, Prime Minister Sanna Marin, and Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto rose to the top of the list alongside athletes.

Finland’s Sámi Parliament and the Finnish Presidency of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council will organise together with the European Parliament a Summit of Barents Euro-Arctic Indigenous Sámi People in Brussels from 22 to 24 March 2023.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will attend a meeting of Nordic foreign ministers (N5) on 22 March.

Finland will grant additional EUR 12 million in humanitarian assistance to help earthquake survivors in Türkiye and Syria. The support will be used to finance food aid, water services, emergency shelters and protection to those who lost their homes.

EU foreign ministers will convene in Brussels on 20 March. A joint session of EU foreign and defence ministers will be held on the same day. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will represent Finland at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen will represent Finland at the joint session. In addition, Minister Haavisto and Minister Kaikkonen will meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.