Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland)
| Ulkoasiainministeriö (Finnish) Utrikesministeriet (Swedish) |
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| Ministry overview | |
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| Formed | June 28, 1918 |
| Headquarters | Merikasarmi, Laivastokatu 22, 00160 Helsinki |
| Annual budget | 1,176 million euros (2009)[1] |
| Ministers responsible |
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| Website | www |
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) is a ministry in the Finnish Government and is responsible for preparing and implementing the government's foreign policy.
Organisation
The ministry had a total budget in 2009 of 1,176 million euros, of which 746 million is targeted at development cooperation and 202 million euros at ministry's operating costs. The total Finnish official development assistance expenditure in 2009 was 916 million euros, which represents approximately 0.47% of the Finnish gross national income.[1]
It employs approximately 1,600 people (of whom approximately 1,030 are women) and maintains 97 overseas offices housing foreign missions.[1] Since 1987 the ministry has been concentrated in the Katajanokka district of Helsinki.
Two ministers in the current Juha Sipilä's government have portfolios relating to the ministry:
- Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is in overall political control of the ministry
- Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade
The most senior civil servant is the Secretary of State, and is assisted by four Under-Secretaries of State with responsibilities allocated as follows:
- Administrative, Legal and Protocol Affairs
- Foreign and Security Policy, Communications and Culture
- External Economic Affairs
- International Development Cooperation and Development Policy
Below these, the ministry is divided into twelve departments:
- Political Department
- Department for External Economic Relations
- Department for Development Policy
- Department for Europe
- Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia;
- Department for the Americas and Asia;
- Department for Africa and the Middle East.
- Department for Global Affairs
- Legal Department
- Department for Administrative Affairs
- Department for Communication and Culture
- Protocol Department
Outside of these departments there are two specialised units:
- Unit for Internal Auditing
- Unit for Policy Planning and Research
Current Ministers
The ministers, as of 1 June 2015, are:
- Minister for Foreign and European Affairs - Timo Soini[2]
- Minister for International Development - Lenita Toivakka[2]
The current Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is Peter Stenlund.
See also
References
External links
- ThisisFINLAND (Department for Communication and Culture)
