Foreign Ministry's press releases

Finland continues to support the Council of EuropeAction Plan for Ukraine with four million euros in 2024–2025. Finland’s support emphasizes, disability inclusion, gender equality and prevention and combatting of violence against women.

The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) will take place in Davos, Switzerland, on 15–19 January. Finland will be represented at the meeting by Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hanke Bruins Slot, in Helsinki on 10 January.

Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa in Helsinki on 9 January.

Finland will provide EUR 17.3 million in humanitarian aid to Sudan, Ukraine, Burkina Faso and Lebanon through the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

IFAD aims to reduce rural poverty and increase food security in the poorest countries in the world. The need for IFAD’s efforts is even more acute following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland and the other IFAD Member States announced additional contributions to the Fund in Paris last week.

Finland's national plan for the reconstruction of Ukraine will improve the prerequisites for the business operations of Finnish companies in Ukraine. A reconstruction plan based on the Government Programme was published on 21 December 2023.

On 21 December, the President of the Republic approved the bill on the European Union Emergency Travel Document (EU ETD) and the related amendments to other legislation. The acts will enter into force on 8 December 2025 when uniform provisions become simultaneously applicable in all EU Member States. The current provisions will apply until the entry into force of the acts.

The High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, has appointed Kirsi Henriksson as Deputy Managing Director of the European External Action Service's Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC).

The EU’s new restrictive measures against Russia include a ban on the import of diamonds, a tighter oil price cap and a broader scope of prohibitions on imports, exports and transit of goods. A new measure will require Russian-owned companies operating in the EU to provide notification of transfers of funds. Sanctions on individuals will be targeted at persons organising illegal elections in the territories of Ukraine, entities supporting the Russian military, and an EU citizen who has circumvented the sanctions in Finland.