Ambassadors and foreign policy leaders to gather in Helsinki

Press Release 172/2013
23 August 2013

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will hold its Annual Meeting of Finnish Heads of Mission in Helsinki from 26 to 28 August. Some of the speeches given at the Annual Meeting will be broadcast live on the Ministry’s website, at http://formin.finland.fi.

During the meeting nearly one hundred heads of diplomatic missions will discuss topical themes pertaining to Finland’s foreign, security and defence policy, economic external relations and development policy. Consular services and issues pertaining to the operations and future of the Foreign Service will also be discussed.

Live broadcasts, which will also be available later as recorded webcasts:

Monday, 26 August

9:00  Secretary of State Pertti Torstila opens the Annual Meeting, speech by Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja

11:00  Keynote speaker H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs (NB! Change of timetable and speaker)

12:00  Speech by Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb (NB! Change of timetable)

14:45  Speech by Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala

Tuesday, 27 August

9:00  Speech by President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö

10:15  Speech by Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen

The Annual Meeting can also be followed on Twitter at #slsk13 and on the Facebook pages of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs at www.facebook.com/ulkoministerio.

The videos, speeches and press releases of the Annual Meeting will be available on the Ministry’s website at a later time.

Additional information: Director Keijo Norvanto, Unit for Communications, tel. +358 295 351 351