Foreign Ministry's press releases

The United States and Finland will open negotiations on a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) this autumn. The agreement will provide a framework and a legal basis for regular defence cooperation between Finland and the United States. It would also create conditions for closer cooperation if the security situation so requires.

The Finnish Government has appointed a coordination group for Finland’s NATO membership, with responsibility for monitoring the preparations for Finland’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The group will coordinate among the ministries new functions and resource needs that are related to the membership. In addition, it will ensure the flow of information across branches of government. The coordination group is chaired by Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.

On 29 September 2022, the Finnish Government issued a resolution to significantly restrict the entry of Russian tourists into Finland. The entry restrictions will enter into force on 30 September 2022 at 00.00, and they will remain in force until further notice.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will visit Tokyo on 26–27 September. He will represent Finland at the state funeral for Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on 27 September.

Finland, like many other States, has decided to take part in two sets of international judicial proceedings in which Ukraine demands that Russia be held responsible for violations of international law.

Finland calls for a recommendation that allow Schengen countries, when they refuse entry of Russian nationals at their border, to either annul or revoke a person’s visa or impose an entry ban on them in accordance with ordinary Schengen practices.

The Finnish Internet Forum will be held on Thursday 29 September 2022, after a break of three years. The themes of the event include the impacts that giant platform economy companies may have on freedom of speech and EU regulation concerning the internet.

Finland will participate in the EU Integrated Resolve Exercise, which will be held between 19 September and 18 November 2022.

The high-level meetings of the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 77) will start in New York on Monday 19 September. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto and Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will attend ministerial events in New York and have bilateral meetings with their counterparts and with representatives of the UN. Minister Skinnari also has Team Finland programme.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will meet Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó in Budapest on 15 September.