New Ambassadors to Ankara, Baghdad, Berlin, Mexico City, Rome and Vienna

At the presidential session on Thursday 23 March, the President of the Republic appointed six new Ambassadors as of 1 September 2023.

Embassy in Ankara, Türkiye

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Pirkko Hämäläinen to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Ankara from 1 September 2023. Hämäläinen will transfer to Türkiye from the Embassy in Vienna, where she has served as Head of Mission since 2019.

Previously, Hämäläinen served as Permanent State Under-Secretary from 2014 to 2018. She served as Head of Mission in Riga from 2012 to 2014 and before that as Deputy Head of Mission in Tallinn and Reykjavik. She has also held other posts at the Embassy in Vienna.

At the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Hämäläinen has worked as Director of Human Resources and as Director of the Unit responsible for Europe Information. Hämäläinen joined the Foreign Service in 1989.

Pirkko Hämäläinen
Pirkko Hämäläinen. Photo: Petri Krook

Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Anu Saarela to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Baghdad, starting on 1 September 2023.

Saarela will move to Iraq from the Ministry, where she has worked as Deputy Director General of the Legal Service since 2019. Previously, she served as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Tel Aviv from 2016 to 2018 and as Head of Mission of the Embassy in Nicosia from 2012 to 2016. 

During her career, Saarela has worked in Finland’s embassies in Tokyo, Stockholm, Washington, Lagos and Berlin. In addition, she served as Director of the Unit for Public International Law at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2012. Saarela holds the degrees of Master of Laws and Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration. She joined the Foreign Service in 1987.

Anu Saarela. Photo: Siiri Saarela

Embassy in Berlin, Germany

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Kai Sauer to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Berlin, starting on 1 September 2023. Sauer will move to Germany from the Ministry, where he has served as Under-Secretary of State for foreign and security policy since 2019. 

Previously, Sauer served as Head of Mission at Finland's Permanent Representation to the United Nations in New York from 2014 to 2019 and as Head of Mission at the Embassy in Jakarta from 2010 to 2014. At the Ministry, Sauer worked as Director of the Unit for UN and General Global Affairs from 2007 to 2010 and as Director of the Unit for South-Eastern Europe in 2005. Sauer served as UN Senior Advisor to former Prime Minister Harri Holkeri and President Martti Ahtisaari from 2003 to 2007.

Sauer holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1995.

Kai Sauer. Photo: Kimmo Räisänen

Embassy of Mexico City, Mexico

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Ari Mäki to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Mexico City, starting on 1 September 2023. Mäki will transfer to Mexico from Finland’s Embassy in Ankara, where he has served as Head of Mission since 2019. 

Previously, Mäki worked as Director of the Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean from 2015 to 2019. In addition, he served as Head of Mission at the Embassy in Kabul from 2013 to 2015. He has also worked at Finland’s embassies in Rome and Teheran and at Finland’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO in Paris. 

Mäki served as Special Adviser to the Under-Secretary of State for development cooperation and development policy from 2006 to 2009, among other posts at the Ministry. He holds the degree of Master in Social Sciences. Mäki joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1996.
 

Ari Mäki. Photo: Embassy of Finland in Ankara

Embassy in Rome, Italy

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Matti Lassila to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Rome, starting on 1 September 2023. Lassila will transfer to Italy from Finland’s Embassy in Baghdad, where he has served as Head of Mission since 2021.

Previously, Lassila worked as Senior Adviser responsible for external energy relations and climate policy at the Unit for General EU Affairs and Coordination from 2018 to 2021. He served as Finland’s Ambassador in Beirut from 2015 to 2018 and in Abu Dhabi from 2007 to 2011. He has also held Diplomatic Service posts in Brussels, Prague, Geneva, Teheran, Dublin and Marseille. Lassila joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1987. He holds the degree of Master of Political Science.

Matti Lassila. Photo: Petri Krook

Embassy in Vienna, Austria

The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Nina Vaskunlahti to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Vienna, starting on 1 September 2023. Vaskunlahti will be heading to Austria from the Ministry, where she has served as Under-Secretary of State for international trade since 2019. 

Previously, Vaskunlahti served as Head of Mission at the Embassy in New Delhi from 2016 to 2019 and as Head of Mission at the Embassy in Ankara from 2012 to 2016. She has also worked at the embassies in Moscow and Canberra and at Finland’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels. 

Her other posts include chair of the Working Party on Eastern Europe and Central Asia (COEST) during Finland’s first Presidency of the Council of the EU and Deputy Permanent Representative Coreper 1, during Finland’s second Presidency. In addition, she has served as Director General of the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Ministry and held a special assignment in an international organisation coordinating the economic reconstruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.

Vaskunlahti holds the degree of Master in Social Sciences. She joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1984.

Nina Vaskunlahti. Kuva: Kimmo Räisänen

Inquiries

  • Kirsti Pohjankukka, Deputy Director General for Human Resources, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 29 535 0038, [email protected]