Current affairs
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15.10.2026
FINLAND’S MINISTER OF FOREIGN TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT TO VISIT HA NOI
Hanoi, 15 October 2026 – Finland’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Development, Mr. Ville Tavio, pays a working visit to Vietnam on 15–16 October 2026. The visit highlights Finland’s strong commitment to concretising its Strategic Partnership with Vietnam and expanding cooperation in trade, innovation, digitalisation and sustainable infrastructure.
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14.10.2026
Minister Tavio to visit Vietnam
Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will visit Vietnam on 15–16 October. During his visits, Minister Tavio will meet ministers and business representatives from the two countries. Several Finnish companies will take part in the visit programme.
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13.10.2026
Foreign Ministry introduces AI service for processing classified information
Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs has introduced its AI Assistant UMAI to an initial group of pilot users. The service enables the use of artificial intelligence to process information at national security classification level IV in a secure environment. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Government ICT Centre Valtori are acting as pilot organisations in the development of a common secure AI platform for central government.
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12.10.2026
Minister Tavio to visit Indonesia and Vietnam
Finnish Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will visit Indonesia on 12–14 October and Vietnam on 15–16 October. During his visits, Minister Tavio will meet ministers and business representatives from the two countries. Several Finnish companies will take part in the visit programme.
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24.9.2026
Finland Outsources the Reception of Residence Permit Applications in Vietnam
Finland is outsourcing the reception of residence permit applications in Vietnam to a permit application centre operated by VFS Global. The reception of residence permit applications will commence at the Hanoi Application Centre on 6 October 2026.
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11.9.2026
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26.7.2026
Aalto Works inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided to inscribe the Aalto Works on the World Heritage List at its 48th session held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from 19 to 29 July 2026. The property comprises 13 modern architectural sites across Finland designed by Alvar, Aino and Elissa Aalto.
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7.7.2026
Majority of seasonal work visa applications for wild-berry pickers refused
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has received approximately 2,200 seasonal work visa applications this year for the purpose of wild-berry picking in Finland. To date, a majority of the applications have been processed, approximately 1,600 applications in total. The processing has revealed indications of a risk of worker exploitation, as well as shortcomings in employers’ compliance with their statutory obligations. The majority of the applications, approximately 1,400, have been refused.
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24.6.2026
New electronic appointment booking system starting June 2026
The Embassy of Finland in Hanoi will introduce a new electronic appointment booking system starting from June 2026.
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15.6.2026
Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ policy on Finland’s Indo-Pacific approach: Prioritising stability and cooperation
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has adopted Finland’s first comprehensive Indo-Pacific policy, responding to the region’s growing economic and geopolitical significance.