President Sauli Niinistö and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy made the decision on Thursday. Finland will participate in the EU military training mission in Mozambique, Southern Africa, and increase the number of soldiers in the training operation in Mali, West Africa. President Sauli Niinistö and the MinisterialContinue Reading
Finland’s evacuation operation in Kabul has ended, with around 340 people flown out. Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) announced the conclusion of operations at a press conference on Thursday evening, shortly after suicide attacks at the airport had killed scores of people. Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen (Cen) said that operationsContinue Reading
Terrori-iskun uhka varjostaa jo ennestään kaoottista evakuointia Kabulin kentältä. Yhdysvallat, Britannia ja Australia ovat kehottaneet kansalaisiaan poistumaan välittömästi alueelta. Isis-K eli Isis-Khorasan on terroristijärjestön pieni haara, joka on tehnyt tuhoisia iskuja Afganistanissa ja Pakistanissa. Useat maat varoittavat terrori-iskun uhasta Afganistan pääkaupungin Kabulin lentokentällä. Yhdysvallat, Britannia ja Australia ovat kehottaneet kentänContinue Reading
Finland may lose its competitive edge compared to other nearby countries after the coronavirus crisis, warns an article published by the Bank of Finland on Wednesday. According to Bank of Finland adviser Lauri Kajanoja, the price of labour in Finland increased between 2019 and 2021 in relation to the eurozoneContinue Reading
Despite following the course of events over the past two years in the war-torn country, Finland’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Pekka Kosonen said he was as surprised as anyone else about the events that began unfolding as the country’s government collapsed and the Taliban took control. The ambassador made the commentsContinue Reading
Finland has already facilitated the evacuation of more than 200 people from Kabul airport, which remains mired in chaos after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan and thousands of people are trying to flee. Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto reported on Tuesday through his Twitter account that members of the staffContinue Reading
The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan has fuelled speculation that the global supply of heroin could increase as a result. Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of opium – the key ingredient in heroin and other opiate drugs. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, theContinue Reading
Finland is preparing to send troops into Afghanistan to protect Finnish citizens and help evacuate them out of the country, Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto (Green) confirmed at a press conference on Thursday evening. There are an estimated 60 Finnish citizens in Afghanistan waiting to evacuate from the country. “The governmentContinue Reading
The Ministry of the Interior will propose an increase of Finland’s refugee quota to 2,000 in the government’s budget negotiations, Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo (Green) has told Yle. Finland’s current refugee quota is 1,050 people. The quota system shares out refugees among EU member states according to a calculation basedContinue Reading
“If the Taliban stay here and form the next government, other countries will pay the price for it. That has happened before,” the young man said. Abdul* is one of at least 20 Finnish nationals who are trapped in Afghanistan amid a takeover of the country by the Taliban militantContinue Reading