New Ambassadors to New York, Reykjavik and Santiago de Chile and Roving Ambassador to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

NordenBladet — At the presidential session on Friday 11 February, the President of the Republic appointed new Ambassadors. Jarmo Sareva. Photo: LehtikuvaThe President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Jarmo Sareva to serve as Consul General at Finland’s Consulate General in New York, starting on 1 September 2022. Sareva will move to the United States from the post of Ambassador for Cyber Security, which he has held since 2021. In 2018–2021, he served as Ambassador for Innovations. Sareva has previously worked as Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Finland at the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations. His career in the Diplomatic Service includes also posts in Moscow, Washington DC and Vienna. Sareva has held supervisory positions in the United Nations in 2006–2018. He joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1984. He holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences as well as the degree of Master of Arts from Johns Hopkins University.      Anu Laamanen. Photo: Markus Bunders The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Anu Laamanen to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Reykjavik, starting on 1 September 2022. Laamanen will move to Iceland from the Ministry, where she has worked as Director of the National Security Authority since 2016. In 2013–2016, she served as Finland’s Ambassador in Vienna and, in 2007-2013, as Deputy Director General of the Political Department in the Ministry. Her career in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Oslo and New York. Laamanen joined the Foreign Ministry in 1986. She holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences.        Johanna Kotkajärvi. Photo: Kimmo RäisänenThe President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Johanna Kotkajärvi to serve as Head of the Embassy of Finland in Santiago de Chile, starting on 1 September 2022. Kotkajärvi will move to Chile from the Ministry, where she has been Deputy Director General of the Department for Communications since 2017. In 2014–2017, she served as Director of the Unit for Communications on Asia, Africa and the Americas in the same department. In 2013–2014, she worked in the Department for the Americas and Asia, where she led the Southeast Asia and Oceania Team. Her duties as Team Leader included monitoring of security policy in the Pacific region. Before that, in 2010–2013, she worked as Ministerial Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Tokyo. In the Diplomatic Service, she has held posts also in Oslo, Zagreb and Luxembourg. Kotkajärvi joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1994. She holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences.     Illkka Räisänen. In addition, the President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Ilkka Räisänen to serve as Roving Ambassador for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, starting on 14 February 2022. Räisänen will move to the post of Roving Ambassador based at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from the post of Senior Adviser for Central Asia at the Ministry’s Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Before that, in 2018–2021, he was Alternate Board Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London. In 2017–2018, Räisänen worked at the Department for Development Policy, where he was Senior Adviser for international procurements, responsible for the promotion of Finnish companies’ opportunities to participate in projects carried out by international organisations and development finance institutions. He served as Finland’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in 2013–2017 and as Head of the Liaison Office in Minsk in 2010–2013. In 2009–2010, before appointments to supervisory positions, he was on secondment at the Estonian Ministry for Foreign Affairs. His career in the Diplomatic Service includes also posts in St Petersburg, Washington DC, Buenos Aires and Nairobi. Räisänen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1992. He holds the degree of Licentiate of Science (Economics and Business Administration).

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi