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The minister for foreign affairs (Finnish : ulkoministeri, Swedish : utrikesminister) handles the Finnish Government's foreign policy and relations, and is in charge of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. [1] The minister for foreign trade and development is also associated with this ministry. The current minister for foreign affairs is Elina Valtonen of National Coalition Party.
Section 93 (Competence in the area of foreign policy issues) of the Constitution of Finland says the following: [2]
The foreign policy of Finland is directed by the President of the Republic in co-operation with the Government.
However, the Parliament accepts Finland’s international obligations and their denouncement and decides on the bringing into force of Finland’s international obligations in so far as provided in this Constitution. The President decides on matters of war and peace, with the consent of the Parliament.
The Government is responsible for the national preparation of the decisions to be made in the European Union, and decides on the concomitant Finnish measures, unless the decision requires the approval of the Parliament.
The Parliament participates in the national preparation of decisions to be made in the European Union, as provided in this Constitution.
The communication of important foreign policy positions to foreign States and international organisations is the responsibility of the Minister with competence in foreign affairs.
This last paragraph specifies the constitutional responsibility of the minister for foreign affairs.
| No. | Portrait | Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Otto Stenroth (1861–1939) | 27 May 1918 | 27 November 1918 | 184 days | Young Finnish | Paasikivi I | |
| 2 | Carl Enckell (1876–1959) | 27 November 1918 | 28 April 1919 | 152 days | Independent | Ingman I K. Castrén | |
| 3 | Rudolf Holsti (1881–1945) | 28 April 1919 | 20 May 1922 | 3 years, 22 days | National Progressive | K. Castrén Vennola I Erich Vennola II | |
| (2) | Carl Enckell (1876–1959) | 2 June 1922 | 14 November 1922 | 165 days | Independent | Cajander I | |
| 4 | Juho Vennola (1872–1938) | 14 November 1922 | 18 January 1924 | 1 year, 65 days | National Progressive | Kallio I | |
| (2) | Carl Enckell (1876–1959) | 18 January 1924 | 31 May 1924 | 134 days | Independent | Cajander II | |
| 5 | Hjalmar Procopé (1889–1954) | 31 May 1924 | 31 March 1925 | 304 days | RKP | Ingman II | |
| 6 | Gustaf Idman (1885–1961) | 31 March 1925 | 31 December 1925 | 275 days | Independent | Tulenheimo | |
| 7 | Emil Nestor Setälä (1864–1935) | 31 December 1925 | 13 December 1926 | 347 days | National Coalition | Kallio II | |
| 8 | Väinö Voionmaa (1869–1947) | 13 December 1926 | 17 December 1927 | 1 year, 4 days | SDP | Tanner | |
| (5) | Hjalmar Procopé (1889–1954) | 17 December 1927 | 21 March 1931 | 3 years, 94 days | Independent | Sunila I Mantere Kallio III Svinhufvud II | |
| 9 | Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen (1885–1951) | 21 March 1931 | 14 December 1932 | 1 year, 268 days | National Coalition | Sunila II | |
| 10 | Antti Hackzell (1881–1946) | 14 December 1932 | 7 October 1936 | 3 years, 298 days | Independent | Kivimäki | |
| (3) | Rudolf Holsti (1881–1945) | 7 October 1936 | 16 November 1938 | 2 years, 40 days | National Progressive | Kallio IV Cajander III | |
| (8) | Väinö Voionmaa (1869–1947) | 16 November 1938 | 1 December 1938 | 15 days | SDP | Cajander III | |
| 11 | Eljas Erkko (1895–1965) | 12 December 1938 | 1 December 1939 | 354 days | National Progressive | Cajander III | |
| 12 | Väinö Tanner (1881–1966) | 1 December 1939 | 27 March 1940 | 117 days | SDP | Ryti I | |
| 13 | Rolf Witting (1879–1944) | 27 March 1940 | 5 March 1943 | 2 years, 343 days | RKP | Ryti II Rangell | |
| 14 | Carl Henrik Ramsay (1886–1951) | 5 March 1943 | 8 August 1944 | 1 year, 156 days | RKP | Linkomies | |
| (2) | Carl Enckell (1876–1959) | 8 August 1944 | 17 March 1950 | 5 years, 221 days | Independent | Hackzell U. Castrén Paasikivi II-III Pekkala Fagerholm I | |
| 15 | Åke Gartz (1888–1974) | 17 March 1950 | 20 September 1951 | 1 year, 187 days | Independent | Kekkonen I-II | |
| 16 | Sakari Tuomioja (1911–1964) | 20 September 1951 | 26 November 1952 | 1 year, 67 days | Independent | Kekkonen III | |
| 17 | Urho Kekkonen (1900–1986) | 26 November 1952 | 9 July 1953 | 225 days | Centre | Kekkonen III | |
| 18 | Ralf Törngren (1899–1961) | 9 July 1953 | 5 May 1954 | 300 days | RKP | Kekkonen IV Tuomioja | |
| (17) | Urho Kekkonen (1900–1986) | 5 May 1954 | 20 October 1954 | 168 days | Centre | Törngren | |
| 19 | Johannes Virolainen (1914–2000) | 20 October 1954 | 3 March 1956 | 1 year, 135 days | Centre | Kekkonen V | |
| (18) | Ralf Törngren (1899–1961) | 3 March 1956 | 27 May 1957 | 1 year, 85 days | RKP | Fagerholm II | |
| (19) | Johannes Virolainen (1914–2000) | 27 May 1957 | 29 November 1957 | 186 days | Centre | Sukselainen I | |
| 20 | Paavo Hynninen (1883–1960) | 29 November 1957 | 29 August 1958 | 273 days | Independent | Fieandt Kuuskoski | |
| (19) | Johannes Virolainen (1914–2000) | 29 August 1958 | 4 December 1958 | 97 days | Centre | Fagerholm III | |
| 21 | Karl-August Fagerholm (1901–1984) | 4 December 1958 | 13 January 1959 | 40 days | SDP | Fagerholm III | |
| (18) | Ralf Törngren (1899–1961) | 13 January 1959 | 16 May 1961 | 2 years, 123 days | RKP | Sukselainen II | |
| 22 | V. J. Sukselainen (1906–1995) Acting | 16 May 1961 | 19 June 1961 | 34 days | Centre | Sukselainen II | |
| 23 | Ahti Karjalainen (1923–1990) | 19 June 1961 | 13 April 1962 | 298 days | Centre | Sukselainen II Miettunen I | |
| 24 | Veli Merikoski (1905–1982) | 13 April 1962 | 18 December 1963 | 1 year, 249 days | Liberals | Karjalainen I | |
| 25 | Jaakko Hallama (1917–1996) | 18 December 1963 | 12 September 1964 | 269 days | Independent | Lehto | |
| (23) | Ahti Karjalainen (1923–1990) | 12 September 1964 | 14 May 1970 | 5 years, 244 days | Centre | Virolainen Paasio I Koivisto I | |
| 26 | Väinö Leskinen (1917–1972) | 14 May 1970 | 29 October 1971 | 1 year, 168 days | Independent | Aura I Karjalainen II | |
| 27 | Olavi J. Mattila (1918–2013) | 29 October 1971 | 23 February 1972 | 117 days | Independent | Aura II | |
| 28 | Kalevi Sorsa (1930–2004) | 23 February 1972 | 4 September 1972 | 194 days | SDP | Paasio II | |
| (23) | Ahti Karjalainen (1923–1990) | 4 September 1972 | 13 June 1975 | 2 years, 282 days | Centre | Sorsa I | |
| (27) | Olavi J. Mattila (1918–2013) | 13 June 1975 | 30 November 1975 | 170 days | Independent | Liinamaa | |
| (28) | Kalevi Sorsa (1930–2004) | 30 November 1975 | 29 September 1976 | 304 days | SDP | Miettunen II | |
| 29 | Keijo Korhonen (1934–2022) | 29 September 1976 | 15 May 1977 | 228 days | Centre | Miettunen III | |
| 30 | Paavo Väyrynen (born 1946) | 15 May 1977 | 19 February 1982 | 4 years, 280 days | Centre | Sorsa II Koivisto II | |
| 31 | Pär Stenbäck (born 1941) | 19 February 1982 | 6 May 1983 | 1 year, 76 days | RKP | Sorsa III | |
| (30) | Paavo Väyrynen (born 1946) | 6 May 1983 | 30 April 1987 | 3 years, 359 days | Centre | Sorsa IV | |
| (28) | Kalevi Sorsa (1930–2004) | 30 April 1987 | 31 January 1989 | 1 year, 276 days | SDP | Holkeri | |
| 32 | Pertti Paasio (1939–2020) | 31 January 1989 | 26 April 1991 | 2 years, 85 days | SDP | Holkeri | |
| (30) | Paavo Väyrynen (born 1946) | 26 April 1991 | 5 May 1993 | 2 years, 9 days | Centre | Aho | |
| 33 | Heikki Haavisto (1935–2022) | 5 May 1993 | 3 February 1995 | 1 year, 274 days | Centre | Aho | |
| 34 | Paavo Rantanen (born 1934) | 3 February 1995 | 13 April 1995 | 69 days | Independent | Aho | |
| 35 | Tarja Halonen (born 1943) | 13 April 1995 | 25 February 2000 | 4 years, 318 days | SDP | Lipponen I-II | |
| 36 | Erkki Tuomioja (born 1946) | 25 February 2000 | 19 April 2007 | 7 years, 53 days | SDP | Lipponen II Jäätteenmakki Vanhanen I | |
| 37 | Ilkka Kanerva (1948–2022) | 19 April 2007 | 4 April 2008 | 351 days | National Coalition | Vanhanen II | |
| 38 | Alexander Stubb (born 1968) | 4 April 2008 | 22 June 2011 | 3 years, 79 days | National Coalition | Vanhanen II Kiviniemi | |
| (36) | Erkki Tuomioja (born 1946) | 22 June 2011 | 29 May 2015 | 3 years, 341 days | SDP | Katainen Stubb | |
| 39 | Timo Soini (born 1962) | 29 May 2015 | 6 June 2019 | 4 years, 8 days | Finns | Sipilä | |
| 40 | Pekka Haavisto (born 1958) | 6 June 2019 | 20 June 2023 | 4 years, 14 days | Green | Rinne Marin | |
| 41 | Elina Valtonen (born 1981) | 20 June 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 133 days | National Coalition | Orpo |
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