Nordic and African foreign ministers to meet in Algeria

State Secretary Lauri Tierala will represent Finland at the Nordic–African Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (NAFM) in Algeria on 16–18 October.

The previous meeting of Nordic and African foreign ministers was held in Helsinki in June 2022. In addition to the five Nordic foreign ministers, 29 African foreign ministers have been invited to the meeting. Annual meetings of Nordic and African foreign ministers have been held since 2001. The themes discussed range from peace and security to trade and economy and multilateral cooperation.

At the meeting, State Secretary Tierala will introduce the theme of economic cooperation and partnerships. He will also have bilateral meetings with African foreign ministers during the NAFM.

“Africa is Europe’s close neighbour, and its strategic importance is growing. African countries have felt the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through rising food insecurity. It is important that we engage in dialogue with our African partners because it will strengthen the cooperation and partnership between our countries,” says State Secretary Tierala.

In addition to the official meeting agenda, Algeria will organise a youth panel, which will be attended by youth delegates from African and Nordic countries. The Finnish delegation will be represented in the panel by our own youth delegate. The first NAFM youth panel was held in 2022 at the Helsinki meeting on Finland’s initiative.