Foreign Ministry's press releases

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has sent out for comments a proposal for a new Decree of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Fees for Services Produced by the Foreign Service in 2025. It is proposed that several of the Foreign Ministry's services which are currently provided free of charge should be made chargeable.

The high-level meetings of the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79) will start in New York on 24 September. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will attend ministerial events in New York and have bilateral meetings with their counterparts and with representatives of the UN.

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will visit Stockholm on 17–18 September to meet his Nordic colleagues and business representatives.

The new Act on the Export Control of Dual-Use Items entered into force on 15 September 2024. The Decree on the Advisory Board on Export Control issued under the Act entered into force at the same time. The reform includes a national control list of items that need an authorisation for export outside the European Union.

At the presidential session on 13 September, the President of the Republic appointed four new non-resident Ambassadors.

Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard will visit Finland on 13 September at the invitation of Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.

Minister Anders Adlercreutz, who is responsible for Nordic cooperation, will attend a virtual meeting of the ministers for Nordic cooperation on Wednesday 11 September.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold its 57th session from 9 September to 11 October in Geneva, Switzerland.

Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna will visit Helsinki on 6 September and meet Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Albania, Serbia and Kosovo on 4–5 September. The aim of the visit is to strengthen political and commercial relations with Finland’s partners in the Western Balkans. Finland supports the aspirations of the region’s countries for EU membership.