New Ambassadors to Budapest and Kathmandu

NordenBladet — At the presidential session on Friday 11 March, the President of the Republic appointed two new Ambassadors. Pentti Anttinen. Photo: Petri Krook The President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Pertti Anttinen to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Budapest, starting on 1 September 2022. Anttinen will move to Budapest from Kathmandu, where he has served as Head of Mission since 2018. In 2014–2018, he worked as Senior Adviser in the Department for Africa and the Middle East, where he was responsible for steering and coordination of development cooperation. Anttinen served as Finland’s Ambassador in Lusaka in 2011–2014. From 2007 to 2011, he worked as Director of the Unit for Development Policy in the Department for Development Policy. His career in the Diplomatic Service includes posts in Pretoria, Dublin and Ankara. Anttinen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1991. He holds the degree of Master of Science in Agriculture and Forestry.  Riina-Riikka Heikka. Photo: Kimmo RäisänenThe President of the Republic appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Riina-Riikka Heikka to serve as Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Kathmandu, starting on 1 September 2022. Heikka will transfer to Kathmandu from the Ministry’s Department for Development Policy, where she has worked as Director of the Unit for Civil Society since 2018. Between 2013 and 2017, Heikka worked in the Ministry’s Unit for Public International Law and at the Embassy of Finland in Washington DC. In the Diplomatic Service, she worked at the Permanent Delegation of Finland to the OSCE in Vienna in 2007–2009 and at the Permanent Mission of Finland to NATO in Brussels in 2004. Heikka’s career in the Foreign Ministry has focused on questions relating to international law and treaties in particular. She joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2003. She holds the degree of Master of Social Sciences.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi