Foreign relations of Finland
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The foreign relations of Finland are the responsibility of the president of Finland, who leads foreign policy in cooperation with the government. Implicitly the government is responsible for internal policy and decision making in the European Union. Within the government, preparative discussions are conducted in the government committee of foreign and security policy (ulko- ja turvallisuuspoliittinen ministerivaliokunta), which includes the Prime Minister and at least the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence, and at most four other ministers as necessary.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The committee meets with the President as necessary. Laws concerning foreign relations are discussed in the parliamentary committee of foreign relations (ulkoasiainvaliokunta, utrikesutskottet). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs implements the foreign policy.
During the Cold War, Finland's foreign policy was based on official neutrality between the Western powers and the Soviet Union, while simultaneously stressing Nordic cooperation in the framework of the Nordic Council and cautious economic integration with the West as promoted by the Bretton-Woods Agreement and the free trade treaty with the European Economic Community. Finland shares this history with close neighbour Sweden, which Finland was a part of until the split of the Swedish empire in 1809. Finland did not join the Soviet Union's economic sphere (Comecon) but remained a free-market economy and conducted bilateral trade with the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Finland unilaterally abrogated the last restrictions imposed on it by the Paris peace treaties of 1947 and the Finno-Soviet Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance. The government filed an application for membership in the European Union (EU) three months after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and became a member in 1995. Finland did not attempt to join NATO, even though post-Soviet countries on the Baltic Sea and elsewhere joined. Nevertheless, defence policymakers quietly converted to NATO equipment and contributed troops.
President Martti Ahtisaari and the coalition governments led Finland closer to the core EU in the late 1990s. Finland was considered a cooperative model state, and Finland did not oppose proposals for a common EU defence policy.<ref name="foreignpolicyidea">"Finland's foreign policy idea" Template:Webarchive ("Suomen ulkopolitiikan idea"), Risto E. J. Penttilä, 2008</ref> This was reversed in the 2000s, when Tarja Halonen and Erkki Tuomioja made Finland's official policy to resist other EU members' plans for common defense.<ref name="foreignpolicyidea"/> However, Halonen allowed Finland to join European Union Battlegroups in 2006 and the NATO Response Force in 2008.
Relations with Russia are cordial and common issues include bureaucracy (particularly at the Vaalimaa border crossing), airspace violations, development aid Finland gives to Russia (especially in environmental problems that affect Finland), and Finland's energy dependency on Russian gas and electricity. Behind the scenes, the administration witnessed a resurrection of Soviet-era tactics as recently as 2017. The Finnish Security Intelligence Service, the nation's security agency, says the known number of Russian agents from Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and GRU now exceeds Cold War levels and there are unknown numbers of others.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in March 2022 that her government would have to respond if Finland became a NATO member.<ref name="eatrs">Template:Cite news</ref>
As of March 2011 Finland maintains diplomatic relations with all UN member states.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
All NATO countries approved Finland's accession to the military alliance by April 1, 2023, and it officially joined on April 4. The move was the final process in Finland's transition from conducting a foreign policy of neutrality to clearly standing as an official part of the Western bloc.
HistoryEdit
After Finland declared its full independence in 1917, the Finnish Civil War, including interventions by Imperial Germany and Soviet Russia, and failure of the Communist revolution, resulted in the official ban on Communism, and strengthening relations with Western countries. Overt alliance with Germany was not possible due to the result of the First World War, but in general the period of 1918 to 1939 was characterised by economic growth and increasing integration to the Western world economy. Relations with Soviet Russia from 1918 to 1939 were icy; voluntary expeditions to Russia called heimosodat ended only in 1922, four years after the conclusion of the Finnish Civil War. However, attempts to establish military alliances were unsuccessful.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Thus, when the Winter War broke out, Finland was left alone to resist the Soviet attack. Later, during the Continuation War, Finland declared "co-belligerency" with Nazi Germany, and allowed Northern Finland to be used as a German attack base. For 872 days, the German army, aided indirectly by Finnish forces, besieged Leningrad, the Soviet Union's second-largest city.<ref>Michael Jones (2013). "Leningrad: State of Siege". Basic Books. p. 38. Template:ISBN</ref> The peace settlement in 1944 with the Soviet Union led to the Lapland War in 1945, where Finland fought Germans in northern Finland.
From the end of the Continuation War with the Soviet Union in 1944 until 1991, the policy was to avoid superpower conflicts and to build mutual confidence with the Western powers and the Soviet Union. Although the country was culturally, socially, and politically Western, Finns realised they had to live in peace with the Soviets and so could take no action that might be interpreted as a security threat. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 opened up dramatic new possibilities for Finland and has resulted in the Finns actively seeking greater participation in Western political and economic structures. The popular support for the strictly self-defensive doctrine remains.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
2000 constitutionEdit
In the 2000 constitution, where diverse constitutional laws were unified into one statute, the leading role of the President was slightly moderated. However, because the constitution still stipulates only that the President leads foreign policy and the government internal policy, the responsibility over European Union affairs is not explicitly resolved. Implicitly this belongs to the powers of the government. In a cohabitation situation as with Matti Vanhanen's recent second government right-wing government and left-wing President Tarja Halonen, there can be friction between government ministers and the president.
The arrangement has been criticised by Risto E. J. Penttilä for not providing a simple answer of who's in charge.<ref name="foreignpolicyidea"/>
Multilateral relationsEdit
Finnish foreign policy emphasises its participation in multilateral organisations. Finland joined the United Nations in 1955 and the European Union in 1995. As noted, the country also is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace as well as an observer in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. The military has been prepared to be more compatible with NATO, as co-operation with NATO in peacekeeping is needed, but military alliance does not have popular support. Political scientist Teija Tiilikainen has attributed tensions like this one to the importance that Finland's political identity places on sovereignty and the (sometimes competing) stress it places on international cooperation.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In the European Union, Finland is a member of the Eurozone, and in addition, the Schengen treaty abolishing passport controls. 60% of foreign trade is to the EU. Other large trade partners are Russia and the United States.
Finland is well represented in the UN civil service in proportion to its population and belongs to several of its specialised and related agencies. Finnish troops have participated in United Nations peacekeeping activities since 1956, and the Finns continue to be one of the largest per capita contributors of peacekeepers in the world. Finland is an active participant in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and in early 1995 assumed the co-chairmanship of the OSCE's Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Cooperation with the other Scandinavian countries also is important to Finland, and it has been a member of the Nordic Council since 1955. Under the council's auspices, the Nordic countries have created a common labor market and have abolished immigration controls among themselves. The council also serves to coordinate social and cultural policies of the participating countries and has promoted increased cooperation in many fields.
In addition to the organisations already mentioned, Finland is a member of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the International Finance Corporation, the International Development Association, the Bank for International Settlements, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Council of Europe, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Finland has moved steadily towards integration into Western institutions and abandoned its formal policy of neutrality, which has been recast as a policy of military nonalliance coupled with the maintenance of a credible, independent defence. Finland's 1994 decision to buy 64 F-18 Hornet fighter planes from the United States signalled the abandonment of the country's policy of balanced arms purchases from Communist countries and Western countries.
In 1994, Finland joined NATO's Partnership for Peace; the country is also an observer in the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. Finland became a full member of the EU in January 1995, at the same time acquiring observer status in the EU's defence arm, the Western European Union.
In 2003, Anneli Jäätteenmäki of the Centre Party won the elections after she had accused her rival Paavo Lipponen, who was prime minister at the time, of allying neutral Finland with the United States in the war in Iraq during a meeting with President George W. Bush, and thus associated Finland with what many Finns considered an illegal war of aggression. Lipponen denied the claims and declared that "We support the UN and the UN Secretary-General." Jäätteenmäki resigned as prime minister after 63 days in office amid accusations that she had lied about the leak of the documents about the meeting between Bush and Lipponen. This series of events was considered scandalous and it is named Iraq leak or Iraq-gate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Generally, Finland has abided by the principle of neutrality and has good relations with nearly all countries, as evidenced by the freedom of travel that a Finnish passport gives; though relations with Russia remain strained and are often tense due to past historical grievances, including Russian threats and past invasion.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
After almost 30 years of close partnership with NATO, Finland joined the Alliance on 4 April 2023. Finland's partnership with NATO was historically based on its policy of military non-alignment, which changed following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 1 March 2024, Alexander Stubb, a staunch supporter of NATO, was sworn in as Finland's new president.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 7 March 2024, Stubb made his first foreign trip as Finland's new president to Nato's Nordic Response military exercise in northern Norway.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
NATOEdit
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Diplomatic relations listEdit
List of countries which Finland maintains diplomatic relations with:
MultilateralEdit
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AfricaEdit
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Comoros is represented in Finland by its embassy in Paris, France.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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| Template:Flag | July 17, 1959 | See Ethiopia–Finland relations
Ethiopia is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an embassy in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia is one of Finland's long-term development partners and in the water and education sectors.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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Finland recognised Namibia on March 21, 1990. Both countries established diplomatic relations on the same day. Namibia is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an embassy in Windhoek and an honorary consulate in Walvis Bay. | ||
| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland – South Africa relations
A South African legation was established in 1967 and relations were then upgraded to ambassadorial level in March 1991.<ref name=sa/> Finland has an embassy in Pretoria, a general consulate in Johannesburg, and a consulate in Cape Town. South Africa is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. During World War II South Africa declared war on Finland.<ref name=nordic/> Finland was a strong supporter of the dismantling of Apartheid in South Africa.<ref name=nordic>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> South African exports to Finland include fresh and dried fruits, wine, pulp, paper, iron, steel, and coal. South Africa imports telecommunication equipment, paper, board products, and machinery from Finland.<ref name=sa>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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AmericasEdit
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Brazil–Finland relations File:Halonen and Lula.jpg President Tarja Halonen together with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil in Helsinki 2007
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Canada–Finland relations File:Pääministeri Sanna Marin ja Kanadan pääministeri Justin Trudeau tapasivat Brysselissä 23.3.2022 (51957490205).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Chile–Finland relations
Chile recognised Finland's independence on June 17, 1919. Diplomatic relations between them were established in 1931 and have been continuously maintained, despite pressures at times to discontinue them.<ref name="historia">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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The relations between Colombia and Finland are harmonious as both countries share a similar ideology based on democracy, human rights and a lasting peace. It's because of this that Colombia has decided to open an embassy in Helsinki. Colombia also defines Finland as a key player on Colombia's accession into the OECD and the ratification of the Colombia-European Union Trade Agreement.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Mexico relations
File:Visita de Estado del Presidente de la República de Finlandia, Sauli Niinistö. 64.jpg President Sauli Niinistö meeting with President Enrique Peña Nieto in 2015 Mexico recognized the independence of Finland in July 1920.
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | File:Canciller de Finlandia realiza Visita Oficial al Perú (11936654025).jpg Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja with Embajador Fernando Rojas in 2014
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts<ref name="Finnish recognition" /> | See Finland–United States relations File:President Ronald Reagan meeting with President Mauno Koivisto.jpg President Ronald Reagan meeting with President Mauno Koivisto in 1988 File:President Trump & the First Lady's Trip to Europe (43419581552).jpg President Donald J. Trump with President Sauli Niinistö of Finland at the Mäntyniemi Residence, July 16, 2018 5-25-1988 President Reagan meeting with President Mauno Henrik Koivisto during a trip to Finland at the Helsinki airport in Vantaa Relations between the United States and Finland are warm. Some 200,000 US citizens visit Finland annually, and about 3,000 US citizens are resident there. The US has an educational exchange program in Finland that is comparatively large for a Western European country of Finland's size. It is financed in part from a trust fund established in 1976 from Finland's final repayment of a US loan made in the aftermath of World War I. Finland is bordered on the east by Russia and, as one of the former Soviet Union's neighbours, has been of particular interest and importance to the US both during the Cold War and in its aftermath. Before the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, longstanding US policy was to support Finnish neutrality and to maintain and reinforce Finland's historic, cultural, and economic ties with the West. The US has welcomed Finland's increased participation since 1991 in Western economic and political structures. Economic and trade relations between Finland and the United States are active and were bolstered by the F-18 purchase. US-Finland trade totals almost $5 billion annually. The US receives about 7% of Finland's exports – mainly wood pulp and paper, ships, machinery, electronics and instruments and refined petroleum products<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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AsiaEdit
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}}</ref>||See China–Finland relations The two international trade organisations are the Finland-China Trade Association and the China Council for Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). One of the fastest growing areas of trade between the two countries is in environmental protection.<ref>[1]</ref><ref>[2]</ref> and information technology. Nokia is the largest Finnish investor in China. | ||||
| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Georgia relations File:Salome Zourabichvili and Sauli Niinisto.jpg President Sauli Niinistö with President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili in 2019
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–India relations File:The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Prime Minister of Finland, Mr. Matti Vanhanen at a joint press conference, in Helsinki, Finland on October 12, 2006.jpg The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen in Helsinki on 2006. |
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| Template:Flag | See Finland–Iran relations File:Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in Tapiola, Finland in 1970.jpg Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the Farah Pahlavi visit to Espoo, Finland. To their right, the Finnish president Urho Kekkonen in 1970 Photograph of the Shah and the Shahbanu during their visit to Tapiola residencial area in Espoo, Finland. To their right, the Finnish president Urho Kekkonen.
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Israel relations
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Japan relations
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See Finland–Kazakhstan relations
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See Finland–North Korea relations
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EuropeEdit
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | File:Pääministeri Sanna Marin tapasi Albanian pääministerin Edi Raman (52161822307).jpg Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Austria–Finland relations File:Pääministeri Marin Wienissä 17.2.2023 (52694922893).jpg Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen in 2023
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Bulgaria–Finland relations
File:Pääministeri Orpo tapasi Bulgarian ulkoministeri Mariya Gabrielin Helsingissä 12.9.2023.jpg Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Mariya Gabriel in 2023
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Croatia–Finland relations
File:Pääministeri Marin ja Kroatian pääminister Plenkovic tiedotustilaisuudessa (52165283290).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Cyprus–Finland relations
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | File:Euroopan poliittisen yhteisön kokous, Praha 6.10.2022 (52408926530).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Prime Minister of Czech Republic Petr Fiala in 2022
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Denmark–Finland relations File:Pääministeri Marin Kööpenhaminassa 4.5.2022 (52049397038).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen in 2022
Denmark and Finland share a long history, where Danish Vikings settled in Finland and made crusades. Both countries were also part of the Kalmar Union.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Estonia–Finland relations
File:Seminar on cooperation between Finland and Estonia 15.11.2022 (52501795488).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas in 2022 Finland's main language, Finnish, is related to Estonian, and there is and has been a certain feeling of kinship. 76% of Finns have visited Estonia and in 2004, 1.8 million Finns reported visiting Estonia. Finnish and Swedish investors are the largest foreign investors in Estonia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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Finland contributed and continues to contribute military aid to Estonia, e.g., training of officers, provision of equipment.
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–France relations File:Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Paris 4. October 2023 (53234972800).jpg Prime Minister Petteri Orpo with President of France Emmanuel Macron in Paris 2023
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Germany relations
File:Pääministeri Marinin ja liittokansleri Scholzin tapaaminen 16.3.2022 (51943290443).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Chancellor Olaf Scholz
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Greece relations File:Pääministeri Sanna Marin ja Kreikan pääministeri Kyriákos Mitsotákis tapasivat Ateenassa 28.4.2022 (52036118630).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin with Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis in 2022
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Iceland relations
File:Pääministeri Sanna Marin tapasi Islannin pääministeri Katrín Jakobsdóttir tapasivat Kesärannassa 12.4.2022 (51999936545).jpg Sanna Marin met the Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir in Kesäranta on 2022
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | File:Prime Minister Sanna Marin met with Taoiseach, Prime Minister of Ireland Micheál Martin in Helsinki 8.4.2022 (51990553255).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin with Taoiseach, Prime Minister of Ireland Micheál Martin in 2022 |
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Italy relations
File:Sergio Mattarella and Finnish President Niinistö at the 16th Arraiolos meeting (5).jpg Finnish President Sauli Niinistö with Italian President Sergio Mattarella
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Finland recognised Kosovo March 7, 2008.<ref name="formin.fi20080307">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref name="newsroomfinland20080307">Template:Cite news</ref> Finland maintains an embassy in Pristina.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Latvia relations File:Prime Minister Sanna Marin met Latvia’s Prime Minister Krišjānis Karinš 12 February 2020 08.jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin met Latvia's Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš 12 February 2020
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Lithuania relations File:President Tarja Halonen of Finland and President Daļa Gribauskaite of Lithuani at Saeima in 2011.jpg Tarja Halonen talk with the President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė in 2011
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | File:Prime Minister Marin in Luxembourg 10.2.2023 (52681099165).jpg Sanna Marin and Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel in 2022
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | File:Pääministeri Marin tapasi Podgoricassa Montenegron pääministeri Dritan Abazovićin (52160594995).jpg Sanna Marin met the Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazović, on 2022 | |||
| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Netherlands relations File:Staatsbezoek President Kekkonen van Finland aan Nederland Kekkonen en Koninklijk, Bestanddeelnr 925-9706.jpg President of Finland Kekkonen with the Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld on their way to Palace, October 24, 1972 File:Prime Minister Orpo and Prime Minister of Netherlands Rutte met in Helsinki 13. June 2024 (53788662649).jpg Prime Minister Orpo and Prime Minister of Netherlands Rutte in 2024 |
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| Template:Flag | File:Sanna Marin ja Stevo Pendarovski (52161046177).jpg Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin with North Makedonian President Stevo Pendarovski in 2022 | ||||
| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Norway relations
File:Olav V of Norway in Helsinki 1961 (JOKAUAS2 7868-10).tif Olav V, King of Norway, and President of Finland Urho Kekkonen in 1961
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Poland relations File:Pääministeri Marin Varsovassa 5.5.2022 (52051714681).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki in 2022 |
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File:Kekkonen kuuntelee.jpg Nikita Khrushchev speaking, Urho Kekkonen, Leonid Brezhnev, Nikolai Podgorny, Jorma Vanamo and Kustaa Loikkanen in 1963 Relations with Russia are peaceful and friendly. Finland imports a lot of goods and basic necessities, such as fuel, and the two nations are agreeing on issues more than disagreeing on them. Finland was a part of the Russian Empire for 108 years, after being annexed from the Swedish empire. Discontent with Russian rule, Finnish national identity, and World War I eventually caused Finland to break away from Russia, taking advantage of the fact that Russia was withdrawing from World War I and a revolution was starting in earnest. Following the Finnish Civil War and October Revolution, Russians were virtually equated with Communists and due to official hostility to Communism, Finno-Soviet relations in the period between the world wars remained tense. Voluntary activists arranged expeditions to Karelia (heimosodat), which ended when Finland and the Soviet Union signed the Treaty of Tartu in 1920. However, the Soviet Union did not abide by the treaty when they blockaded Finnish naval ships. Finland was attacked by the Soviet Union in 1939. Finland fought the Winter War and the Continuation War against the Soviets in World War II. During the wars, the Finns suffered 90,000 casualties and inflicted severe casualties on the Russians (120,000 dead in the Winter War and 200,000 in the Continuation War). Contemporary issues include problems with border controls causing persistent truck queues at the border, airspace violations, pollution of the Baltic Sea, and Russian duties on exported wood to Finland's pulp and paper industry. Russia also considered large swathes of land near the Finnish border as special security area where foreign land ownership is forbidden. A similarly extensive restriction does not apply to Russian citizens. The Finnish Defence Forces and Finnish Security Intelligence Service have suspected that Russians have made targeted land purchases near military and other sensitive installations for intelligence or special operations purposes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | File:Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger met in Helsinki 10.11.2022 05.jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger in 2022
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | File:Vrh zveze Nato v Vilni. (53037527262).jpg President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister of Slovenia Robert Golob meet up in 2023 Vilnius summit
Tensions between the countries rose in late 2008 when a news program on Finland's national broadcasting company station YLE accused Finnish weapons manufacturer Patria of bribing Slovenian officials to secure an arms deal. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša formally complained to the Finnish ambassador in Ljubljana.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This controversy became known as the Patria case. | |||
| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Spain relations File:Prime Minister Sanna Marin in Madrid 26.1.2022 (51843265997).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Stockholm on 2 February 2023
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File:Kekkonen-with-Swedish-royalty-1981.jpg President Urho Kekkonen, Swedish Queen Silvia, director Åke Wolfram of Wärtsilä, and king Carl XVI Gustaf in Turku on 28 April 1981 File:Pääministeri Sanna Marin ja Ruotsin pääministeri Ulf Kristersson Tukholmassa 2.2.2023 (52664334172).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Stockholm on 2 February 2023 Finland and Sweden have always had very close relations, resulting from shared history, numerous commonalities in society and politics, and close trade relations. A newly appointed Foreign Minister makes his or her first state visit to Sweden. Finnish politicians often consider Sweden's reaction to international affairs first as a base for further actions, and thus finally both countries often agree on such issues. If there has ever been any dissonance between the two countries those were the Åland question in the early 1920s and the Swedish declaration of non-belligerent status during the Winter War. Finland and Sweden are members of the European Union and the Schengen agreement, freeing international travel and trade between the countries. Furthermore, both participate in the Nordic Council, which grants Swedish nationals slightly more extensive rights than the EU/Schengen treaties alone.
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | See Finland–Ukraine relations
File:Президент України провів зустріч з Прем’єр-міністром Фінляндії.jpg Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Kyiv, Ukraine, 26 May 2022 |
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File:Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets President Stubb of Finland (54421876531).jpg Prime Minister Keir Starmer with President of Finland Alexander Stubb
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OceaniaEdit
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File:Sauli Niinistö talked to Anthony Albanese during the 2022 Madrid Summit.jpg Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President of Finland Sauli Niinistö in 2022 Diplomatic relations were established on May 31, 1949.
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| Template:Flag | Template:Dts | File:Prime Minister Marin in New Zealand 30.11.2022 (52531869212).jpg Prime Minister Sanna Marin and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
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International organization participationEdit
- AfDB
- AsDB
- Australia Group
- BIS
- CBSS
- CCC
- CE
- CERN
- EAPC
- EBRD
- ECE
- EIB
- ESA
- Template:Flag
- File:FAO logo.svg FAO
- G-9
- IADB
- File:Flag of IAEA.svg IAEA
- IBRD
- File:Flag of IAEA.svg ICAO
- ICC
- File:International Criminal Court logo.svg ICC
- File:Emblem of the ICRC.svg ICRM
- IDA
- IEA
- IFAD
- IFC
- File:Emblem of the IFRC.svg IFRCS
- IHO
- File:Flag of ILO.svg ILO
- IMF
- File:Flag of the International Maritime Organization.svg IMO
- ITUC
- Interpol
- Template:Flag
- IOM
- ISO
- ITU
- MINURSO
- File:Flag of NATO.svg NATO
- File:Flag of the Nordic Council.svg NC
- NEA
- File:Nordic Investment Bank logo.svg NIB
- NSG
- File:Flag of the Organization of American States.svg OAS (observer)
- OECD
- OPCW
- File:OSCE logo.svg OSCE
- File:Logo of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague.png PCA
- PFP
- Template:Flag
- UNCTAD
- File:Flag of UNESCO.svg UNESCO
- UNHCR
- UNIDO
- UNIKOM
- UNITAR
- UNMEE
- UNMIBH
- UNMIK
- UNMOGIP
- UNMOP
- UNOMIG
- UNTAET
- UNTSO
- File:Flag of UPU.svg UPU
- File:Flag of the Western European Union.svg WEU (observer)
- WFTU
- File:Flag of WHO.svg WHO
- WIPO
- File:Flag of the World Meteorological Organization.svg WMO
- WTrO
- Zangger Committee
Sub-national government participationEdit
File:Flag of Åland.svg Åland Islands
- Unrepresented United Nations<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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See alsoEdit
- List of diplomatic missions in Finland
- Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland)
- Politics of Finland
- Pulp mill conflict between Argentina and Uruguay (for the conflict over the installation of a pulp mill by the Finnish company Botnia in Uruguay, across the Uruguay River)
- Visa requirements for Finnish citizens
- Arctic policy of Finland
- Finland–NATO relations
ReferencesEdit
Template:Foreign relations of Finland Template:Finland topics Template:Foreign relations of Europe