The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has started preparations for closing the embassies of Finland in Islamabad, Kabul and Yangon in 2026, said the Ministry in a press release on Friday.
The embassies will be closed for operational and strategic reasons, which are linked to changes in the countries’ political situation and their limited commercial and economic relations with Finland.
Meanwhile, the Ministry is currently preparing to open commercial offices during 2026 in some locations where Business Finland previously had an office.
The Ministry regularly reviews how well Finland’s network of missions abroad meets current and future needs.
This year, the Ministry launched a strategic review of the network of missions, which takes into account Finland’s foreign and security policy interests and the needs of export promotion activities.
As a result of the review, the Ministry will make proposals on the closing and opening of missions. The aim is to concentrate resources on countries that are strategically important to Finland.
“We will systematically develop Finland’s network of missions abroad to meet future challenges. Our operating environment is changing rapidly. The changes to be made will help us to build a stronger and more competitive Finland and to manage Finland's external relations in accordance with our priorities,” said Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen in the press release.
- Finland
- Closes
- Embassies
- Pakistan
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
