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, 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. The committee meets with the President as necessary. Laws concerning foreign relations are discussed in the parliamentary committee of foreign relations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs implements the foreign policy.
Matti Kalervo Anttonen is a Finnish diplomat and the present Secretary of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland since 1 March 2018.
Estonia–Finland relations are the bilateral relations between Finland and Estonia. The independent Republic of Finland, established in 1917, and the independent Republic of Estonia, established in 1918, established diplomatic relations and formally recognised each other in 1920. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were interrupted during World War II and officially restored on 29 August 1991. Finland has an embassy in Tallinn. Estonia has an embassy in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, Council of Europe, European Union, NATO and the Eurozone. Finland has given full support to Estonia's membership of the European Union. Estonia also has strongly supported Finland's NATO membership. The majority languages in both countries are Finnic languages, as 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. The excise tax on alcohol is lower in Estonia than in Finland, thus it is common to buy large volumes of alcohol when returning from Estonia: a study in 2014 indicated that 34% of alcohol sold in Estonia is bought by Finns. Finnish and Swedish investors are the largest foreign investors in Estonia. Both Finland and Estonia are members of the European Union, Schengen agreement and the Eurozone, freeing international travel and trade between the countries. Finland is Estonia's top import partner, accounting for over 15% total import value in 2012, as well as the second-greatest market for Estonia's exports after Sweden. Finland's government recognised Estonia's independence in 1920. In response to the Soviet invasion, diplomatic missions were de facto removed. However, when Estonia restored its independence, this "temporary obstruction" was resolved. During the restoration of Estonia's independence, Finland secretly contributed with significant economic aid and know-how under the cover of "cultural co-operation" in order to not upset the Soviet Union. Finland continues to contribute militarily, such as officers' training, and the provision of equipment.
Marja-Liisa Kiljunen is a Finnish diplomat. She has been Finnish Ambassador to Lithuania and Belarus from 2008 to 2012.
Eva-Christina Mäkeläinen is a Finnish diplomat, a Licentiate of Social Sciences degree and a PhD in Philosophy. She served as deputy director of the Department for the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1976 to 1980. She has been an ambassador in Athens from 1980 to 1985, in Copenhagen 1985-1990 in Vienna and Ljubljana in 1995-1998 .
Päivi Luostarinen is a Finnish diplomat. She has been employed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs since 1981 and served as Finnish Ambassador at the Finnish Embassy in London from September 2015 until June 2019.
Tarja Laitiainen is a Finnish diplomat. She started working for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1980. Laitianien was appointed as the Finnish Ambassador to Portugal in Lisbon on October 1, 2016.
Hilkka Nenonen is a Finnish diplomat. Since September 2013, she has been the Ambassador of Finland in Dublin.
Anu Irene Laamanen is a Finnish diplomat. She has been employed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs since 1986.
Terhi Katriina Hakala is a Finnish diplomat who has been serving as European Union Special Representative for Central Asia since 2021.
Kirsti Helena Kauppi was the Finnish ambassador to the United States from January 2015 to September 2020. Prior to that she was in the post of Head of the Political Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from 1 April 2012 until the end of 2014. Since 2009, she has served as Head of Division for the Department of Foreign Affairs of Africa and the Middle East. Previously, she has worked at the Ministry's Political Department, for example as Head of the European correspondent network and also in the Development Cooperation Department.
Maija Lähteenmäki is a Finnish diplomat. She has been Finland's ambassador to Australia in Canberra in 2010-2013 and retired there. She started working with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1974.
Riitta Hannele Resch is a Finnish diplomat. She is a leading expert at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Humanitarian Aid and Policy Unit. Resch worked as an ambassador in Manila from 2004 to 2008. She started working at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1982.
Kirsti Eskelinen-Liukkonen was an Ambassador of Finland to Ankara from 2008 to 2012. She was the Finnish Ambassador to Latvia in Riga from 2000 to 2004 and after that she was head of the Eastern Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until 2008. She started with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1973.
Helena Tuuri is a Finnish diplomat. She has been the Finnish Ambassador to Prague, since 15 August 2014. She joined the service of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1987.
Elisabeth Tigerstedt-Tähtelä is a Finnish diplomat. She is a Master in lawyer and has been Finnish Ambassador to several countries
Erkki Juhani Kivimäki was a Finnish diplomat. He served as Finnish Ambassador at the Embassy of Finland in Argentina, Buenos Aires from 1996 to 2001.
Raija Anne Lammila is a Finnish diplomat.
Anne Meskanen is a Finnish diplomat. She is the Finnish Ambassador to Kabul, Afghanistan and has been in charge since 1 September 2015. The mission was closed in March 2017 when a terrorist attack took place nearby.
Seija Toro is a Finnish diplomat and Counsellor for Foreign Affairs. Toro holds a Master of Arts degree. From September 1, 2016, she has been a Roving Ambassador at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for Mali, Niger, Ivory Coast and Senegal., as well as the Special Representative on Sahel. Before that she was the Ambassador of Finland to Maputo, Mozambique, from 1 November 2013. She started working with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1989.
