Current affairs
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3.5.2026
World Press Freedom Day highlights importance of freedom of expression for democracy and security
World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on 3 May. The day reminds us of the importance of free and independent media as the foundation for democracy, the rule of law and an open society. Finland promotes media freedom, which is fundamental to freedom of speech and expression, as part of its foreign and security policy.
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28.4.2026
Crisis Management NOW – Serving peace 70 years and beyond
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and its partners will organise the Crisis Management NOW event focusing on crisis management and peacebuilding on Tuesday 5 May.
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5.3.2026
Situation in the Middle East
The situation in the region is serious and worrying. At this stage, it is difficult to assess how long it will last. Due to the current situation, Finland’s Representative Office in Ramallah is currently serving customers only by email: [email protected].
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25.2.2026
President Alexander Stubb and security policy drew global attention to Finland in 2025
Security policy topics, which have dominated international coverage on Finland since 2022, continued as the key theme in 2025. The number of news headlines about Finland was lower than the previous year, but President of the Republic Alexander Stubb assumed a significantly more visible role on the international stage. Country brand surveys indicate that Finland’s brand has become more positive, and awareness of Finland has increased since 2024. However, Finland’s positive image development has not fully kept pace with other countries.
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15.2.2026
Foreign Minister Valtonen to visit Israel and the Occupied Palestinian territory
Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Israel and the Occupied Palestinian territory on 15–16 February.
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11.2.2026
Foreign Ministry’s consular services assist over 245,000 Finns around the world in 2025
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish missions abroad provided consular services to approximately 245,000 customers in 2025. In addition, the Ministry’s 24/7 service was contacted around 6,700 times over the course of the year.
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2.1.2026
Unified export promotion network serves Finnish companies worldwide
As of 1 January, the foreign operations of Business Finland related to export promotion have been integrated into the structures of the Finnish Foreign Service. The reform will strengthen the Team Finland network and provide a better platform for a unified team for export promotion.
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5.12.2025
Finland’s national soundscape recognised in London
Finland’s national soundscape Ääniä has received recognition in a prestigious place-branding competition in London. The work, composed by Lauri Porra, was honoured in the Best Use of Design category assessing strategic country branding initiatives. The soundscape is published on music streaming platforms on 5 December 2025, just ahead of Finland’s Independence Day.
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5.12.2025
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11.11.2025
Finland to grant EUR 13.5 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance
Finland will grant a total of EUR 13.5 million in humanitarian assistance at the end of the year. The total funding for humanitarian assistance in 2025 is over EUR 111 million. The funds granted at the end of year will go to humanitarian crises in Ukraine, Nigeria, Sudan, Gaza, Yemen and Afghanistan.