NordenBladet — Finland will fund the development of joint security troops in the Sahel region with EUR 900 000. The support will be channelled via the EU’s African Peace Facility fund, to be used to provide the troops with material support and services. Finland’s contribution cannot be directed to buy weapons or other lethal material.
The five countries located in the Sahel region (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger) decided, at the beginning of 2017, to set up joint security forces. The aim of this initiative was to counter security threats in the region, such as terrorism, drug trafficking and human smuggling. The security troops will consist of 5000 soldiers.
The G5 troops will require, however, external support to become fully operational. The European Commission has decided to support the initiative and has created a support mechanism for this purpose.
“It is a positive sign that the countries in the region assume responsibility for their own security. As a result, the region’s problems are less likely to have spill-over effects on Europe”, says Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini.
A high-level conference will take place, on 23 February in Brussels, on the political situation, security and development in the Sahel region. Prime Minister Juha Sipilä will represent Finland at the conference.
NordenBladet – The series of 44 books on a wide range of different topics will eventually provide a broad overview of the first century of Estonian statehood. The first two books revisit the history of the Estonian state and were written by historian and former Prime Minister Mart Laar, and historian Toomas Hiio.
“Writing this book it felt like we’d need at least one hundred books to write down the one-hundred years of history of the Republic of Estonia. Fortunately we were able to fit this story ranging from the birth of the Estonian national movement to the creation of an independent country into two books,” Laar said.
The first book traces the events that led to the Declaration of Independence on Feb. 24, 1918, continues on with the Estonian War of Independence that followed shortly after, the growing pains of a young state, and the years that followed during which the Republic of Estonia was built as a 20th-century state.
Featured image: The first book was introduced on Feb. 19, 43 more will follow, to be published in 2018 and 2019 (Riigikantselei) Source: News.err.ee
NordenBladet — On General Riho Terras invitation Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, Micael Bydén, has given the Swedish Royal Guards the task of participating in the yearly Independence Day Parade. The parade is an essential part of Estonia’s Independence Day celebrations that take place every year on the 24th of February.
The Royal Guard Company will participate with 11 soldiers wearing a dark blue uniform from year 1886. They will also parade with 1896 model rifles (mauser). The Royal Guard Company is especially trained for protection duties and war fighting in urban environment. They also act as honorary guard at state ceremonies. The Company is part of the Royal Guard that is one of the world’s oldest today active military formations. The Royal Guard dates back to the time of Gustav Vasa and the year of 1523.
The Royal Guard Company is here to celebrate the Republic of Estonia 100th year of independence and to show the close and highly valued co-operation that exists between Sweden and Estonia.
NordenBladet — An Informal meeting of EU development ministers will be organised in Brussels on 20 February 2018. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen. The ministers will discuss, among other things, EU’s financial instruments for external action after 2020, on which decisions will be made in the forthcoming negotiations concerning the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
Finland considers it important that the EU’s financial instruments for external action respond to the current needs and support the political priorities of the EU better than before. “The EU must retain its lead role in development cooperation matters, and assistance must be channelled to those who need it the most. Special attention must be paid to impact and effectiveness,” Minister Virolainen says.
The EU’s actions on migration are currently financed from multiple sources. Finland emphasises the development of coordination between different financial instruments as a way to avoid overlap and to increase the efficiency of the activities.
The EU is shaping its relationship with the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) up to the present time. The cooperation is based on the Cotonou Agreement, which will expire in 2020. Finland considers that the relations between the EU and the ACP countries should be in line with the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the priorities of the new European Consensus on Development. The special treatment accorded to the ACP countries should end and the partnership should be open to all developing countries that commit themselves to the principles of the agreement that concern human rights and democracy. The EU is to reach agreement about the negotiation mandate when the Foreign Affairs (Development) Council (FAC) meets on 22 May 2018, because the Post-Cotonou negotiations with the ACP will start in August 2018.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has made a proposal to establish a new subsidiary focusing on development finance to boost the use and allocation of EIB resources and to enhance the visibility of the EIB in third countries. Finland is prepared to look into the proposal in more detail when further information is available on the structure and possible administrative scenarios of the proposal.
At lunch, ministers will discuss the reform of the UN development system with Achim Steiner, Administrator of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
NordenBladet – Estonian cinematographer Mart Taniel won the American Society of Cinematographers’ Spotlight award for his work on Rainer Sarnet’s 2017 film November. Spotlight is the ASC’s award for professionals from outside the United States.
Other nominees included Máté Herbai with On Body and Soul as well as Mikhail Krichman with Loveless. Both films are also nominated for an Academy Award.
The American Society of Cinematographers’ awards are the year’s biggest event in this particular profession.
NordenBladet — On 20–27 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will visit Tokyo, Seoul and the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. In Tokyo Minister Timo Soini will meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Taro Kono. The ministers will discuss bilateral relations on the basis of the joint statement on the strategic partnership between the countries given in 2016. Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan. The ministers will also talk about the relations between the EU and Japan, Russia, situation in the Korean Peninsula, and closer cooperation in multilateral issues.
During the visit Minister Soini will also meet representatives of the Japanese Parliamentary Friendship Group with Finland and talk at an event of the Japan National Press Club (JNPC). All national and local media representatives are members of the JNPC. In his speech Minister Soini will highlight the importance of a rule-based international order.
From Tokyo Minister Soini will travel to Seoul. During the visit to South Korea Soini will meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea Kang Kyung-wha. The topics to be discussed include bilateral relations between Finland and South Korea and the situation in the Korean Peninsula. This is the first meeting between the two Foreign Ministers, and the aim is to further strengthen Finland’s relations with South Korea.
Also on the agenda is a visit to the demilitarised zone between South and North Korea and to the South Korean Parliament and meetings with other experts on the situation in the Korean Peninsula. Foreign Minister Soini will also visit the XXIII Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in South Korea.
NordenBladet — The compilation titled “Kohtunikud, kohtu-uurijad ja prokurörid 1918–1940” (Judges, Court Investigators and Prosecutors 1918–1940) will be given as a present by the Supreme Court and the Office of the Prosecutor General to a hundred libraries and information centres, in order to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Republic of Estonia. The new lexicon comprises the careers and biographies of 387 judges and prosecutors who were in office during this time period, and it was compiled by the legal historian Toomas Anepaio. The lexicon is published in Estonian.
The book contains photographs and biographical data about the judges and prosecutors of the independent Republic of Estonia including their: date and place of birth, education and career including their military service, awards, memberships in associations, and the repression suffered by the persons in question as well as by their families. Priit Pikamäe, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, said that quite a few of the judges found the courage to stand up to the regime at that time, and the lexicon is partly a nod of recognition to the loved ones of these judges and prosecutors, many of whom were subject to repression because their fathers or husbands held the position of a judge or a prosecutor.
“I sincerely hope that, in the near future, all the judges and prosecutors who have worked in Estonia will receive a mention – a second volume of the lexicon could concentrate on the period of occupation, while a third might name those judges who assumed office from 1991,” said Pikamäe. “The first prosecutor in Estonia began working in a court a hundred years ago. This was probably considered to be the best way for the court to get the highest quality evidence as a basis for the administration of justice,” said Lavly Perling, the Prosecutor General.
She added that, over time, the prosecutors moved away from the court in terms of constitutional law and they are now a part of the nation’s executive power. The independence of the courts and the equal treatment of judges are considered to be important cornerstones in the administration of justice. “All the same, we are still connected by the umbilical cord of law, so to speak. The prosecutors still have a duty to ensure the best conditions for the high quality administration of justice that will increase people’s trust, through presenting evidence that is acceptable to the court and through sound charges,” said Perling.
The lexicon was presented on 9 February at the Judicial Conference of Estonia and will also be presented on 6 April at the Prosecutors’ Assembly. The book is available for purchase through the website of the University of Tartu Press at www.tyk.ee. The lexicon will be delivered to the one hundred libraries and information centres – including those in every Estonian town and county – during the coming months.
NordenBladet — The Ministry for Foreign Affairs will illuminate the seaside façade of Merikasarmi, its main building, on 16 February to mark the 100th anniversary of Lithuania’s independence and on 24 February for Estonia’s 100th anniversary.
Merikasarmi is architect Carl Ludvig Engel’s first major architectural design in Helsinki. The Foreign Ministry’s main building was completed in 1820. The illumination is a part of the Ministry’s own centenary celebrations. The façade of Merikasarmi was also illuminated in blue and white in honour of Finland’s 100 years of independence in 2017.
NordenBladet — The informal meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers (Gymnich) will be held in Sofia on 15-16 February. Finland’s representative in the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini. The topics on the agenda are North Korea, security and defence, the Western Balkans and Syria.
In the talks about North Korea the focus will be on recent events and the EU policy on North Korea.
The ministers will also discuss the situation in Western Balkans on the basis of the Commission strategy concerning the Western Balkans. The discussion on Syria will take place in light of recent developments in the country and preparations relating to the envisaged EU Conference on Syria.
The tradition is that the Foreign Ministers of the EU candidate countries (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey) attend some of the sessions of the informal meeting. In Sofia they will participate in the talks about security and defence issues.
NordenBladet — The Ministry for Foreign Affairs appointed Helena Liikanen-Renger to serve as Press Officer at the Embassy of Finland in Washington, starting on 1 June 2018. The post will be a fixed-term appointment ending on 31 May 2021.
Helena Liikanen-Renger will transfer to the United States from France, where she is currently working as a freelancer journalist and writer. She gained experience of the media in the United States while she attended a Master’s programme in specialised journalism in California.
Helena Liikanen-Renger has worked as a journalist in both the printed and electronic media for twenty years. Her career includes working as a news editor and producer. She specialises in social media Liikanen-Renger holds a Master of Social Sciences degree and a Master’s degree in specialised journalism.
Her strengths include a long and diverse experience of communications as well as a fresh perspective to the content of her new tasks. The Press Officer is responsible for the embassy’s external communications, social media, and media relations. In addition, she will be in charge of the Finland programmes targeted to the US Congress and of the overall coordination of contacts with the Congress. The tasks will include country brand work and media arrangements related to visits at political level and visits by opinion-makers. The Press Officer is the embassy’s communications team leader.
