Foreign relations of Finland

The foreign relations of Finland are the responsibility of the president of Finland, who leads foreign policy in cooperation with the government. Implicitly the government is responsible for internal policy and decision making in the European Union. Within the government, preparative discussions are conducted in the government committee of foreign and security policy (ulko- ja turvallisuuspoliittinen ministerivaliokunta), which includes the Prime Minister and at least the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence, and at most four other ministers as necessary. The committee meets with the President as necessary. Laws concerning foreign relations are discussed in the parliamentary committee of foreign relations (ulkoasiainvaliokunta, utrikesutskottet). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs implements the foreign policy.

Embassy of Finland to the United States in Washington D.C.

During the Cold War, Finland's foreign policy was based on official neutrality between the Western powers and the Soviet Union, while simultaneously stressing Nordic cooperation in the framework of the Nordic Council and cautious economic integration with the West as promoted by the Bretton-Woods Agreement and the free trade treaty with the European Economic Community. Finland shares this history with close neighbour Sweden, which Finland was a part of until the split of the Swedish empire in 1809. Finland did not join the Soviet Union's economic sphere (Comecon) but remained a free-market economy and conducted bilateral trade with the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Finland unilaterally abrogated the last restrictions imposed on it by the Paris peace treaties of 1947 and the Finno-Soviet Agreement of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance. The government filed an application for membership in the European Union (EU) three months after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and became a member in 1995. Finland did not attempt to join NATO, even though post-Soviet countries on the Baltic Sea and elsewhere joined. Nevertheless, defence policymakers quietly converted to NATO equipment and contributed troops.

President Martti Ahtisaari and the coalition governments led Finland closer to the core EU in the late 1990s. Finland was considered a cooperative model state, and Finland did not oppose proposals for a common EU defence policy. This was reversed in the 2000s, when Tarja Halonen and Erkki Tuomioja made Finland's official policy to resist other EU members' plans for common defense. However, Halonen allowed Finland to join European Union Battlegroups in 2006 and the NATO Response Force in 2008.

Relations with Russia are cordial and common issues include bureaucracy (particularly at the Vaalimaa border crossing), airspace violations, development aid Finland gives to Russia (especially in environmental problems that affect Finland), and Finland's energy dependency on Russian gas and electricity. Behind the scenes, the administration witnessed a resurrection of Soviet-era tactics as recently as 2017. The Finnish Security Intelligence Service, the nation's security agency, says the known number of Russian agents from Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and GRU now exceeds Cold War levels and there are unknown numbers of others. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in March 2022 that her government would have to respond if Finland became a NATO member.

As of March 2011 Finland maintains diplomatic relations with all UN member states.

All NATO countries approved Finland's accession to the military alliance by April 1, 2023, and it officially joined on April 4. The move was the final process in Finland's transition from conducting a foreign policy of neutrality to clearly standing as an official part of the Western bloc.

History

President of Latvia Jānis Čakste and President of Finland Lauri Kristian Relander during Relander's 1926 official visit to Latvia. In the background, the Foreign Minister of Finland Eemil Nestor Setälä to the right.

After the Second World War, J. K Paasikivi (in the middle), the 7th President of Finland, was remembered as a main architect of Finland's foreign policy, especially with the Soviet Union.

Yugoslavian President Josip Broz Tito with the Finnish president Urho Kekkonen in Helsinki 1964

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2016

Finnish President Niinistö with US President Donald Trump in 2017

After Finland declared its full independence in 1917, the Finnish Civil War, including interventions by Imperial Germany and Soviet Russia, and failure of the Communist revolution, resulted in the official ban on Communism, and strengthening relations with Western countries. Overt alliance with Germany was not possible due to the result of the First World War, but in general the period of 1918 to 1939 was characterised by economic growth and increasing integration to the Western world economy. Relations with Soviet Russia from 1918 to 1939 were icy; voluntary expeditions to Russia called heimosodat ended only in 1922, four years after the conclusion of the Finnish Civil War. However, attempts to establish military alliances were unsuccessful. Thus, when the Winter War broke out, Finland was left alone to resist the Soviet attack. Later, during the Continuation War, Finland declared "co-belligerency" with Nazi Germany, and allowed Northern Finland to be used as a German attack base. For 872 days, the German army, aided indirectly by Finnish forces, besieged Leningrad, the Soviet Union's second-largest city. The peace settlement in 1944 with the Soviet Union led to the Lapland War in 1945, where Finland fought Germans in northern Finland.

From the end of the Continuation War with the Soviet Union in 1944 until 1991, the policy was to avoid superpower conflicts and to build mutual confidence with the Western powers and the Soviet Union. Although the country was culturally, socially, and politically Western, Finns realised they had to live in peace with the Soviets and so could take no action that might be interpreted as a security threat. The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 opened up dramatic new possibilities for Finland and has resulted in the Finns actively seeking greater participation in Western political and economic structures. The popular support for the strictly self-defensive doctrine remains.

2000 constitution

In the 2000 constitution, where diverse constitutional laws were unified into one statute, the leading role of the President was slightly moderated. However, because the constitution still stipulates only that the President leads foreign policy and the government internal policy, the responsibility over European Union affairs is not explicitly resolved. Implicitly this belongs to the powers of the government. In a cohabitation situation as with Matti Vanhanen's recent right-wing government and left-wing President Tarja Halonen, there can be friction between government ministers and the president.

The arrangement has been criticised by Risto E. J. Penttilä for not providing a simple answer of who's in charge.

Multilateral relations

Finnish foreign policy emphasises its participation in multilateral organisations. Finland joined the United Nations in 1955 and the European Union in 1995. As noted, the country also is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace as well as an observer in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. The military has been prepared to be more compatible with NATO, as co-operation with NATO in peacekeeping is needed, but military alliance does not have popular support. Political scientist Teija Tiilikainen has attributed tensions like this one to the importance that Finland's political identity places on sovereignty and the (sometimes competing) stress it places on international cooperation.

In the European Union, Finland is a member of the Eurozone, and in addition, the Schengen treaty abolishing passport controls. 60% of foreign trade is to the EU. Other large trade partners are Russia and the United States.

Finland is well represented in the UN civil service in proportion to its population and belongs to several of its specialised and related agencies. Finnish troops have participated in United Nations peacekeeping activities since 1956, and the Finns continue to be one of the largest per capita contributors of peacekeepers in the world. Finland is an active participant in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and in early 1995 assumed the co-chairmanship of the OSCE's Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Cooperation with the other Scandinavian countries also is important to Finland, and it has been a member of the Nordic Council since 1955. Under the council's auspices, the Nordic countries have created a common labor market and have abolished immigration controls among themselves. The council also serves to coordinate social and cultural policies of the participating countries and has promoted increased cooperation in many fields.

In addition to the organisations already mentioned, Finland is a member of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the International Finance Corporation, the International Development Association, the Bank for International Settlements, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Council of Europe, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Finland has moved steadily towards integration into Western institutions and abandoned its formal policy of neutrality, which has been recast as a policy of military nonalliance coupled with the maintenance of a credible, independent defence. Finland's 1994 decision to buy 64 F-18 Hornet fighter planes from the United States signalled the abandonment of the country's policy of balanced arms purchases from Communist countries and Western countries.

In 1994, Finland joined NATO's Partnership for Peace; the country is also an observer in the North Atlantic Cooperation Council. Finland became a full member of the EU in January 1995, at the same time acquiring observer status in the EU's defence arm, the Western European Union.

In 2003, Anneli Jäätteenmäki of the Centre Party won the elections after she had accused her rival Paavo Lipponen, who was prime minister at the time, of allying neutral Finland with the United States in the war in Iraq during a meeting with President George W. Bush, and thus associated Finland with what many Finns considered an illegal war of aggression. Lipponen denied the claims and declared that "We support the UN and the UN Secretary-General." Jäätteenmäki resigned as prime minister after 63 days in office amid accusations that she had lied about the leak of the documents about the meeting between Bush and Lipponen. This series of events was considered scandalous and it is named Iraq leak or Iraq-gate.

Generally, Finland has abided by the principle of neutrality and has good relations with nearly all countries, as evidenced by the freedom of travel that a Finnish passport gives; though relations with Russia remain strained and are often tense due to past historical grievances, including Russian threats and past invasion.

After almost 30 years of close partnership with NATO, Finland joined the Alliance on 4 April 2023. Finland's partnership with NATO was historically based on its policy of military non-alignment, which changed following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. On 1 March 2024, Alexander Stubb, a staunch supporter of NATO, was sworn in as Finland's new president. On 7 March 2024, Stubb made his first foreign trip as Finland's new president to Nato's Nordic Response military exercise in northern Norway.

Diplomatic relations list

List of countries which Finland maintains diplomatic relations with:

#	Country	Date
1	Denmark	10 January 1918
2	Sweden	10 January 1918
3	France	24 January 1918
4	United Kingdom	28 March 1918
5	Norway	6 April 1918
6	Argentina	11 May 1918
7	Bulgaria	19 July 1918
8	Netherlands	14 August 1918
9	Spain	16 August 1918
10	Greece	1 March 1919
11	Poland	8 March 1919
12	Japan	24 May 1919
13	United States	30 May 1919
14	Belgium	9 July 1919
15	Italy	6 September 1919
16	Portugal	10 January 1920
17	Romania	28 June 1920
18	Russia	31 December 1920
19	Luxembourg	24 October 1921
20	Egypt	8 April 1922
21	Hungary	12 April 1922
22	Austria	22 April 1922
23	Turkey	9 December 1924
24	Switzerland	29 January 1926
25	Czech Republic	18 October 1927
26	Cuba	5 April 1929
27	Brazil	8 April 1929
28	Serbia	7 August 1929
29	Afghanistan	15 December 1930
30	Chile	20 February 1931
31	Iran	12 December 1931
32	Uruguay	21 March 1935
33	Mexico	2 October 1936
–	Holy See	31 July 1942
34	Iceland	15 August 1947
35	Canada	21 November 1947
36	South Africa	15 May 1949
37	Australia	31 May 1949
38	India	10 September 1949
39	New Zealand	22 July 1950
40	China	28 October 1950
41	Israel	14 November 1950
42	Pakistan	12 January 1951
43	Syria	22 May 1953
44	Colombia	26 March 1954
45	Venezuela	31 March 1954
46	Myanmar	21 June 1954
47	Thailand	21 June 1954
48	Indonesia	6 September 1954
49	Sri Lanka	24 September 1954
50	Philippines	14 July 1955
51	Lebanon	21 June 1956
52	Albania	8 June 1956
53	Iraq	15 May 1959
54	Ethiopia	17 July 1959
55	Morocco	17 July 1959
56	Tunisia	17 July 1959
57	Jordan	28 November 1959
58	Cameroon	15 January 1960
59	Chad	12 August 1960
60	Mali	7 October 1960
61	Sudan	27 January 1961
62	Guinea	19 July 1961
63	Cyprus	2 September 1961
64	Ireland	2 November 1961
65	Algeria	18 January 1963
66	Nigeria	18 January 1963
67	Peru	29 March 1963
68	Mongolia	8 July 1963
69	Bolivia	21 September 1963
70	Paraguay	20 November 1963
71	Ivory Coast	18 June 1964
72	Malawi	13 July 1964
73	Ecuador	5 February 1965
74	Kenya	14 June 1965
75	Tanzania	14 June 1965
76	Uganda	14 June 1965
77	Libya	28 September 1965
78	Costa Rica	23 August 1966
79	Haiti	29 September 1966
80	Republic of the Congo	22 March 1967
81	El Salvador	14 April 1967
82	Guatemala	18 August 1967
83	Zambia	8 March 1968
84	Senegal	31 January 1969
85	Kuwait	21 February 1969
86	Malta	21 February 1969
87	Saudi Arabia	6 June 1969
88	Cambodia	20 January 1970
89	Liberia	24 March 1970
90	Democratic Republic of Congo	3 April 1970
91	Central African Republic	22 May 1970
92	Somalia	12 March 1971
93	Trinidad and Tobago	17 December 1971
94	Bangladesh	5 May 1972
95	Malaysia	17 November 1972
96	Germany	7 January 1973
97	Vietnam	25 January 1973
98	Singapore	7 February 1973
99	Oman	1 April 1973
100	North Korea	1 June 1973
101	South Korea	24 August 1973
102	Mauritius	31 October 1973
103	Qatar	1 April 1974
104	Guinea-Bissau	9 August 1974
105	Nepal	21 September 1974
106	Bahrain	20 December 1974
107	Laos	1 January 1975
108	Panama	1 January 1975
109	United Arab Emirates	21 February 1975
110	Mozambique	18 July 1975
111	Niger	28 November 1975
112	Nicaragua	22 December 1975
113	Honduras	30 January 1976
114	Angola	18 September 1976
115	Madagascar	1 June 1977
116	Papua New Guinea	31 September 1977
117	Barbados	1 December 1977
118	Fiji	1 December 1977
119	Ghana	1 December 1977
120	Jamaica	1 December 1977
121	Comoros	19 December 1977
122	Botswana	1 July 1978
123	Lesotho	1 February 1979
124	Mauritania	1 March 1979
125	São Tomé and Príncipe	1 March 1979
126	Guyana	2 April 1979
127	Yemen	1 June 1979
128	Kiribati	24 August 1979
129	Burundi	1 January 1980
130	Burkina Faso	15 February 1980
131	Grenada	1 June 1980
132	Vanuatu	31 July 1980
133	Zimbabwe	1 August 1980
134	Rwanda	1 June 1983
135	Cape Verde	22 July 1983
136	Dominican Republic	2 January 1984
137	Maldives	10 August 1984
138	Bhutan	1 May 1986
139	Seychelles	1 April 1987
140	Gabon	20 May 1988
141	Gambia	1 September 1988
142	Brunei	11 November 1988
143	Benin	22 December 1988
144	Namibia	21 March 1990
145	Eswatini	20 September 1990
146	Estonia	29 August 1991
147	Latvia	29 August 1991
148	Lithuania	29 August 1991
149	Slovenia	17 February 1992
150	Croatia	19 February 1992
151	Belarus	26 February 1992
152	Moldova	26 February 1992
153	Tajikistan	26 February 1992
154	Ukraine	26 February 1992
155	Uzbekistan	26 February 1992
156	Kyrgyzstan	23 March 1992
157	Azerbaijan	24 March 1992
158	Armenia	25 March 1992
159	Kazakhstan	13 May 1992
160	Turkmenistan	11 June 1992
161	Liechtenstein	26 June 1992
162	Georgia	8 July 1992
163	Slovakia	1 January 1993
164	Eritrea	28 May 1993
165	Tonga	1 December 1993
166	North Macedonia	17 December 1993
167	Marshall Islands	26 December 1993
168	Bosnia and Herzegovina	29 December 1994
169	Andorra	17 July 1995
170	San Marino	17 July 1995
171	Belize	19 June 1997
172	Solomon Islands	16 July 1999
173	Samoa	11 August 1999
174	Timor-Leste	20 June 2002
175	Suriname	28 June 2005
176	Bahamas	2 December 2005
177	Montenegro	12 June 2006
178	Djibouti	14 March 2007
179	Monaco	29 March 2007
180	Equatorial Guinea	30 April 2008
181	Sierra Leone	17 June 2008
182	Antigua and Barbuda	26 September 2008
—	Kosovo	3 February 2009
183	Tuvalu	6 March 2009
184	Nauru	24 March 2009
185	Palau	5 May 2009
186	Dominica	19 August 2009
187	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	11 September 2009
188	Saint Kitts and Nevis	22 September 2009
189	Saint Lucia	22 September 2009
190	Federated States of Micronesia	4 May 2010
191	Togo	12 May 2010
192	South Sudan	29 June 2012

Multilateral

Organization	Formal Relations Began	Notes
United Nations	1955	See Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations
Nordic Council	1955	Former Prime Minister of Finland Jyrki Katainen in Nordic Council back in 2011 Helsinki Treaty signed in 1962 Secretary-General of the Nordic Council 1982 – 1987 was Secretary-General of the Nordic Council 1987 – 1989 Jan-Erik Enestam was Secretary-General of the Nordic Council from 1 August 2007 – 2013
OSCE	1973	See Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Olavi J. Mattila, Prime Minister Keijo Liinamaa and President Urho Kekkonen. Helsinki Accords signed in 1975 Paris Charter signed in 1990
European Union	1995	See 1995 enlargement of the European Union Former prime Minister Sanna Marin and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen meeting in Helsinki 3.2.2022 European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Former member 1986–1994 Council of Europe, member state since 1989 European Economic Area (EEA), Agreement since 1994 Finland joined the European Union as a full member on 1 January 1995 Join of Eurozone in 1999 Schengen Area, since 2001 Nordic Battlegroup / EU Battlegroup, as a full member on 2008
NATO	2023	See Finland–NATO relations The Finnish ambassador hands the NATO membership application to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Partnership for Peace Previous member 1994–2023 Finland joined NATO as a full member on 4 April 2023.

Africa

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Algeria	18 January 1963	Algeria has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Algiers.
Angola	18 September 1976	Angola is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland is represented in Angola through its embassy in Maputo, Mozambique. Finland also has an honorary consulate in Luanda.
Botswana	1 July 1978	Botswana is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland is represented in Botswana through its embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. Finland has an honorary consulate in Gaborone.
Burkina Faso	1 July 1978	Burkina Faso is represented in Finland through its embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Burundi	1 January 1980	Burundi is represented in Finland through its embassy in Oslo, Norway. Finland is represented in Burundi through its embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Comoros		Comoros is represented in Finland by its embassy in Paris, France.
Djibouti	14 March 2007	Finland is represented in Djibouti through its embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Djibouti is represented in Finland through its embassy in Moscow, Russia.
Egypt	15 February 1947	Finland recognised Egypt on February 15, 1947. Egypt has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Cairo.
Ethiopia	July 17, 1959	See Ethiopia–Finland relations Ethiopia is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an embassy in Addis Ababa. Ethiopia is one of Finland's long-term development partners and in the water and education sectors. On April 29, 2009, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development announced that the Finnish government had made a grant of 11.4 million euros to enable the Benishangul-Gumuz Region to upgrade its capacity to plan and manage its rural water supply and sanitation program to achieve universal access for all Ethiopians.
Kenya	14 June 1965	Finland recognised Kenya on December 13, 1963. Kenya is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an embassy in Nairobi and an honorary consulate in Mombasa.
Morocco	17 July 1959	Finland recognised Morocco's independence on June 8, 1956. Finland has an embassy in Rabat, an honorary consulate general in Casablanca, and other honorary consulates in Agadir, Kenitra, Marrakech, Safi, and Tangiers. Morocco has an embassy in Helsinki.
Mozambique	18 July 1975	Finland recognised Mozambique on July 4, 1975. Mozambique is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an embassy in Maputo.
Namibia	21 March 1990	See Finland–Namibia relations Finland recognised Namibia on March 21, 1990. Both countries established diplomatic relations on the same day. Namibia is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an embassy in Windhoek and an honorary consulate in Walvis Bay.
South Africa	15 May 1949	See Finland – South Africa relations A South African legation was established in 1967 and relations were then upgraded to ambassadorial level in March 1991. Finland has an embassy in Pretoria, a general consulate in Johannesburg, and a consulate in Cape Town. South Africa is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. During World War II South Africa declared war on Finland. Finland was a strong supporter of the dismantling of Apartheid in South Africa. South African exports to Finland include fresh and dried fruits, wine, pulp, paper, iron, steel, and coal. South Africa imports telecommunication equipment, paper, board products, and machinery from Finland.
Tanzania	14 June 1965	Finland recognised Tanganyika on December 9, 1961. Tanzania is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an embassy in Dar es Salaam.
Tunisia	17 July 1959	Finland recognised Tunisia's independence on June 8, 1956. Since 1994 Finland has an embassy in Tunis. Previously Finland was represented in Tunisia through its embassies in Algiers, Algeria, and Rome, Italy. Tunisia has an embassy in Helsinki.
Zambia	8 March 1968	Finland recognised Zambia on October 29, 1964. Zambia is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an embassy in Lusaka.

Americas

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Antigua and Barbuda	26 September 2008	Finland's embassy in Mexico City, Mexico attends to consular matters relating to Antigua and Barbuda.
Argentina	11 May 1918	See Argentina–Finland relations Argentina has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Buenos Aires and five honorary consulates (in Córdoba, Mendoza, Oberá, Rosario, and Ushuaia).
Bahamas	2 December 2005	Finland's embassy in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada attends to consular matters relating to The Bahamas. Finland also has an honorary consulate in Nassau.
Barbados	1 December 1977	Barbados is represented in Finland by their embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Finland has an honorary consulate general in Christ Church.
Belize	19 June 1997	Finland's embassy in Mexico City, Mexico attends to consular matters relating to Belize. Finland also has an honorary consulate in Belize City.
Bolivia	21 September 1963	Bolivia is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland is accredited to Bolivia from its embassy in Lima, Peru.
Brazil	1929	See Brazil–Finland relations President Tarja Halonen together with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil in Helsinki 2007 Brazil has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Brasília.
Canada	21 November 1947	See Canada–Finland relations Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Canada has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Ottawa.
Chile	17 June 1919	See Chile–Finland relations Chile recognised Finland's independence on June 17, 1919. Diplomatic relations between them were established in 1931 and have been continuously maintained, despite pressures at times to discontinue them. The two countries maintain resident ambassadors in both capitals. Chile has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Santiago.
Colombia	26 May 1954	Colombia has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Bogotá. The relations between Colombia and Finland are harmonious as both countries share a similar ideology based on democracy, human rights and a lasting peace. It's because of this that Colombia has decided to open an embassy in Helsinki. Colombia also defines Finland as a key player on Colombia's accession into the OECD and the ratification of the Colombia-European Union Trade Agreement.
Costa Rica	23 August 1966	Costa Rica is represent in Finland by their embassy in Oslo, Norway. Finland's embassy in Mexico City, Mexico attends to consular matters relating to Costa Rica. Finland also has an honorary consulate general and honorary vice-consulate in San José.
Cuba	23 January 1959	Cuba has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland's embassy in Mexico City, Mexico attends to consular matters relating to Cuba. Finland also has an honorary consulate general in Havana.
Dominica	18 August 2009	Finland has an honorary consulate in Roseau.
Dominican Republic	2 January 1984	The Dominican Republic is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an honorary consulate general in Santo Domingo.
Ecuador	5 February 1965	Ecuador is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland's embassy in Lima, Peru attends to consular matters relating to Ecuador. Finland has an honorary consulate in Guayaquil and Quito.
El Salvador	14 April 1967	El Salvador is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland's embassy in Mexico City, Mexico attends to consular matters relating to El Salvador. Finland has an honorary consulate and an honorary vice-consulate in San Salvador.
Grenada	1 June 1980	Grenada is represented in Finland by their embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland has an honorary consulate in St. George's.
Guatemala	18 August 1967	Guatemala is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Finland has an honorary consulate in Guatemala City.
Guyana	2 April 1979	Both countries established diplomatic relations on April 2, 1979. Guyana is represented in Finland by their embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Finland also has an honorary consulate general in Georgetown.
Haiti	29 September 1966	Finland's embassy in Mexico City, Mexico attends to consular matters relating to Haiti. Finland has an honorary consulate general in Port-au-Prince.
Honduras	30 January 1976	Honduras is represented in Finland by their embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Finland's embassy in Mexico City, Mexico attends to consular matters relating to Honduras. Finland has an honorary consulate general in Tegucigalpa and an honorary consulate in San Pedro Sula.
Jamaica	1 December 1977	Jamaica is represented in Finland by their embassy in London, United Kingdom. Finland has an honorary consulate general in Kingston.
Mexico	2 October 1936	See Finland–Mexico relations President Sauli Niinistö meeting with President Enrique Peña Nieto in 2015 Mexico recognized the independence of Finland in July 1920. Finland has an embassy in Mexico City. Mexico has an embassy in Helsinki.
Nicaragua	22 December 1975	See Finland–Nicaragua relations Finland is accredited to Nicaragua from its embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. Nicaragua has an honorary consulate in Helsinki.
Panama	1 December 1975	Panama is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland's embassy in Bogota, Colombia attends to consular matters relating to Panama. Finland has an honorary consulate general in Panama City.
Paraguay	20 November 1963	Paraguay is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland's embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina attends to consular matters relating to Paraguay. Finland has an honorary consulate in Asunción.
Peru	29 March 1963	Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja with Embajador Fernando Rojas in 2014 Peru has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Lima.
Saint Kitts and Nevis	22 September 2009	Finland has an honorary consulate in Basseterre.
Saint Lucia	22 September 2009	Finland has an honorary consulate in Castries.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	30 January 1976	Finland is represented in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines through a roving ambassador. Finland has an honorary consulate in Kingstown. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is represented in Finland through its embassy in London.
Suriname	28 June 2005	Finland's embassy in Brasília, Brazil attends to consular matters relating to Suriname. Finland has an honorary consulate in Paramaribo.
Trinidad and Tobago	17 December 1971	Trinidad and Tobago is accredited to Finland from its embassy in London, United Kingdom. Finland has an honorary consulate general in Barataria.
United States	30 May 1919	See Finland–United States relations President Ronald Reagan meeting with President Mauno Koivisto in 1988 President Donald J. Trump with President Sauli Niinistö of Finland at the Mäntyniemi Residence, July 16, 2018 5-25-1988 President Reagan meeting with President Mauno Henrik Koivisto during a trip to Finland at the Helsinki airport in Vantaa Relations between the United States and Finland are warm. Some 200,000 US citizens visit Finland annually, and about 3,000 US citizens are resident there. The US has an educational exchange program in Finland that is comparatively large for a Western European country of Finland's size. It is financed in part from a trust fund established in 1976 from Finland's final repayment of a US loan made in the aftermath of World War I. Finland is bordered on the east by Russia and, as one of the former Soviet Union's neighbours, has been of particular interest and importance to the US both during the Cold War and in its aftermath. Before the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, longstanding US policy was to support Finnish neutrality and to maintain and reinforce Finland's historic, cultural, and economic ties with the West. The US has welcomed Finland's increased participation since 1991 in Western economic and political structures. Economic and trade relations between Finland and the United States are active and were bolstered by the F-18 purchase. US-Finland trade totals almost $5 billion annually. The US receives about 7% of Finland's exports – mainly wood pulp and paper, ships, machinery, electronics and instruments and refined petroleum products – and provides about 7% of its imports – principally computers, semiconductors, aircraft, and machinery. Finland has an embassy in Washington, D.C., and consulates-general in Los Angeles and New York City. United States has an embassy in Helsinki.
Uruguay	21 March 1935	See Finland–Uruguay relations Finland's embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina accredited to Uruguay and maintains an honorary consulate in Montevideo. Uruguay has an embassy in Helsinki.
Venezuela	31 March 1954	Finland is accredited to Venezuela from its embassy in Bogotá, Colombia. Venezuela is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Oslo, Norway.

Asia

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Afghanistan	11 May 1956	Afghanistan recognised the independence of Finland on July 17, 1928. Afghanistan is accredited to Finland through its embassy in Oslo, Norway. Finland opened a liaison office in Kabul in 2002. It converted into an embassy on January 1, 2006.
Armenia	25 March 1992	See Armenia–Finland relations Finland recognised Armenia on December 30, 1991. Armenia is represented in Finland by a non-resident ambassador (based in Yerevan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Finland is represented in Armenia by a non-resident ambassador (based in Helsinki at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and an honorary consulate in Yerevan. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe.
Azerbaijan	24 March 1992	See Azerbaijan–Finland relations Alexander Stubb with Ilham Aliyev in 2024 Finland recognised Azerbaijan on March 24, 1992. Azerbaijan is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm (Sweden) and an honorary consulate in Helsinki. Finland is represented in Azerbaijan by a non-resident ambassador (based in Helsinki at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and an honorary consulate in Baku. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe.
Cambodia	20 January 1970	Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Prime Minister Hun Sen Finland recognized Cambodia on 19 December 1969. Diplomatic relations established on 20 January 1970, re-established 9 August 1976. Cambodia is represented in Finland through its embassy in London, England Finland is represented in Cambodia through its embassy in Bangkok, Thailand
China	October 28, 1950	See China–Finland relations The two international trade organisations are the Finland-China Trade Association and the China Council for Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). One of the fastest growing areas of trade between the two countries is in environmental protection. and information technology. Nokia is the largest Finnish investor in China. China has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Beijing and consulates-general in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Georgia	8 July 1992	See Finland–Georgia relations President Sauli Niinistö with President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili in 2019 Finland recognised Georgia on March 27, 1992. Finland is represented in Georgia by a non-resident ambassador (based in Helsinki at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and an honorary consulate in Tbilisi. Georgia is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm (Sweden) and an honorary consulate in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe. Finland is an EU member and Georgia is an candidate. On April 22, 2009, the Georgian Foreign Minister visited Finland.
India	10 September 1949	See Finland–India relations The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen in Helsinki on 2006. Finland has an embassy in New Delhi and three honorary consulates in Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai. India has an embassy in Helsinki.
Indonesia	6 September 1954	See Finland–Indonesia relations Finland recognised the independence of Indonesia on February 10, 1950. Finland has an embassy in Jakarta and honorary consulates in Denpasar and Medan. Indonesia has an embassy in Helsinki.
Iran		See Finland–Iran relations Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and the Farah Pahlavi visit to Espoo, Finland. To their right, the Finnish president Urho Kekkonen in 1970 Photograph of the Shah and the Shahbanu during their visit to Tapiola residencial area in Espoo, Finland. To their right, the Finnish president Urho Kekkonen. Finland has an embassy in Tehran. Iran has an embassy in Helsinki.
Iraq	15 May 1959	Finland recognised Iraq on May 15, 1959. Finland has an embassy in Baghdad. Iraq has an embassy in Helsinki.
Israel	14 November 1950	See Finland–Israel relations Finland recognised Israel on March 18, 1949. Finland has an embassy in Tel Aviv. Israel has an embassy in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of the Union for the Mediterranean. Along with the rest of the European Union, Finland has not recognized the State of Palestine. See also History of the Jews in Finland
Japan	6 September 1919	See Finland–Japan relations Sauli Niinistö and Shinzo Abe Japan recognised Finland on May 23, 1919. Finland has an embassy in Tokyo and honorary consulate general in Osaka and other honorary consulates in Kitakyushu, Nagano, Nagoya, and Sapporo. Japan has an embassy in Helsinki.
Kazakhstan	13 May 1992	See Finland–Kazakhstan relations Finland recognized Kazakhstan upon its independence from the Soviet Union. Finland has an embassy in Astana. Kazakhstan has an embassy in Helsinki.
Kyrgyzstan	23 March 1992	Finland recognized Kazakhstan upon its independence from the Soviet Union.
Malaysia	17 November 1972	See Finland–Malaysia relations Finland has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has an embassy in Helsinki.
Nepal	30 August 1955	Finland recognised Nepal on December 14, 1955. Finland has an embassy in Kathmandu. Nepal is represented in Finland through its embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.
North Korea	1 June 1973	See Finland–North Korea relations Finland recognized the People's Democratic Republic of Korea on April 13, 1973. Finland condemns North Korean nuclear tests and fully agrees with EU foreign policy statements on this matter. International trade has been irregular and sporadic, and it is controlled by UN and EU sanctions. Finland has contributed to humanitarian assistance to North Korea through the Red Cross and the World Food Programme. Neither Finland nor North Korea currently have resident ambassadors. North Korea is represented by the North Korean embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland is represented by the Finnish embassy in Seoul, South Korea.
Northern Cyprus		Northern Cyprus has a Representative Office in Helsinki.
Pakistan	January 12, 1951	See Finland–Pakistan relations Finland is accredited to Pakistan from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs based in Helsinki. Pakistan is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden.
Philippines	July 14, 1995	Finland has an embassy in Manila. Philippines is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden.
Saudi Arabia	23 September 1969	Finland has an embassy in Riyadh and an honorary consulate general in Jeddah. Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Helsinki.
South Korea	24 August 1973	The establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Finland and the South Korea began on 1973-08-24. Finland recognised South Korea on April 13, 1973. Finland has an embassy in Seoul. South Korea has an embassy in Helsinki.
Syria	22 May 1953	Finland had an embassy in Damascus and two honorary consulates general in Aleppo and Latakia. Syria is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden.
Thailand	21 June 1954	Thailand, previously known as Siam, recognised Finland's independence on October 9, 1919. Siam was the second non-European state after the United States and the first Asian state to recognise Finland's independence. Finland has an embassy in Bangkok, its honorary consulate general in Phuket and its honorary consulate in Chiang Mai. Thailand has an embassy in Helsinki.
Turkey	20 May 1920	See Finland–Turkey relations Turkey recognised the independence of Finland on February 21, 1918. Finland has an embassy in Ankara and an honorary consulate general in Istanbul and other honorary consulates in Adana, Alanya, Antalya, Belek, Bodrum, İzmir and Kayseri. Turkey has an embassy in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and of NATO. Finland is an EU member and Turkey is an EU candidate. Finland supports Turkey's accession negotiations to the EU, although negotiations have now been suspended. Turkey did not fully support the accession of Finland to NATO until March 2023, whereupon it was accepted. See also Turks in Finland
United Arab Emirates	21 February 1975	See Finland–United Arab Emirates relations Finland recognised United Arab Emirates on February 21, 1975. Finland has an embassy in Abu Dhabi. United Arab Emirates has an embassy in Helsinki.
Vietnam	5 January 1973	Finland recognised Vietnam on December 28, 1972. Finland has an embassy in Hanoi and an honorary consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam has an embassy in Helsinki.

Europe

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Albania	8 June 1956	Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama Albania is accredited to Finland from its embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Finland is accredited to Albania from its embassy in Athens, Greece. Albania is an EU candidate and Finland is a member. Both countries are full members of NATO and the Council of Europe.
Austria	29 March 1949	See Austria–Finland relations Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen in 2023 Austria has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Vienna. Both countries are full members of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Belarus	26 February 1992	Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in 2021 Finland recognised the independence of Belarus on 30 December 1991. Finland is represented in Belarus through its embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, which also operates a liaison office in Minsk. Belarus opened an embassy in Helsinki on 5 December 2011.
Belgium	9 July 1919	Belgium has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Brussels. Both countries are full members of the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe.
Bulgaria	5 August 1918	See Bulgaria–Finland relations Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Mariya Gabriel in 2023 In 1963, the diplomatic representations of the two countries were upgraded to the level of embassy. Bulgaria has an embassy in Helsinki and an honorary consulate in Kemi. Finland has an embassy in Sofia and an honorary consulate in Varna. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Croatia	19 February 1992	See Croatia–Finland relations Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković Croatia has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Zagreb. Both countries are full members of the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe.
Cyprus	2 September 1961	See Cyprus–Finland relations Finland recognised Cyprus on August 16, 1960. Cyprus has an embassy in Helsinki and an honorary consulate in Vantaa. Finland has an embassy in Nicosia. Both countries are full members of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Czech Republic	1 January 1993	Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Prime Minister of Czech Republic Petr Fiala in 2022 Czech Republic has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Prague. Both countries are full members of the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe.
Denmark	18 February 1918	See Denmark–Finland relations Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen in 2022 Denmark has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Copenhagen. Denmark officially recognized Finland's independence in 1918. Both countries are full members of the Nordic Council and the Nordic Passport Union, with no border controls or limitations on travel and residence. On cases concerning an individual, authorities must arrange translations between Finnish and Danish, if necessary. Both countries are members of the European Union, NATO, the Council of Europe and the Council of the Baltic Sea States. Both countries are full members of Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). Denmark and Finland share a long history, where Danish Vikings settled in Finland and made crusades. Both countries were also part of the Kalmar Union. Denmark was the first country along with Sweden to recognize Finland's Independence. There are 3,000 Finns living in Denmark, and 1,235 Danes living in Finland. During Winter War, over 1,000 Danish volunteers came to help Finland. During the Winter war and the Continuation war, Denmark took 4,200 Finnish war children. Exports to Denmark value at 1.380 billion euros, and imports from Denmark value at 1.453 billion, making Denmark Finland's 10th largest import-trading partner. The Nordic Culture Fund and the Finnish-Danish Cultural Fund support projects of artists in both countries. Many tourists from Finland visit Denmark, 206,000 in 2017, and vice versa: 113,000 Danish tourists visited Finland in 2017. In 1918 Mannerheim visited Copenhagen, asking if Prince Aage would have wanted to become the King of Finland.
Estonia	29 August 1991	See Estonia–Finland relations Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas in 2022 Finland's main language, Finnish, is related to Estonian, and there is and has been a certain feeling of kinship. 76% of Finns have visited Estonia and in 2004, 1.8 million Finns reported visiting Estonia. Finnish and Swedish investors are the largest foreign investors in Estonia. Finland and Estonia are members of the European Union and the Schengen agreement, freeing international travel and trade between the countries. Finland's government recognised Estonia's independence in 1920. In response to the Soviet invasion, diplomatic missions were de facto removed. However, when Estonia declared independence, this "temporary obstruction" was resolved. Both countries restored diplomatic relations on August 29, 1991. Estonia has an embassy in Helsinki and five honorary consulates in Oulu, Turku, Raseborg, Tampere and Kotka. Finland has an embassy in Tallinn and an honorary consulate in Tartu. Finland contributed and continues to contribute military aid to Estonia, e.g., training of officers, provision of equipment. Both countries are full members of the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe. Both countries are full members of Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
France	24 January 1918	See Finland–France relations Prime Minister Petteri Orpo with President of France Emmanuel Macron in Paris 2023 France was one of the first countries which recognised Finland's independence on January 4, 1918. Finland has an embassy in Paris and 18 honorary consulates (in Ajaccio, Bordeaux, Brest, Caen, Cherbourg, Dijon, Lille, Lyons, Marseille, Monaco, Nancy, Nice, Reims, Rouen, Sète, Strasbourg, Toulouse and Papeete in Tahiti). France has an embassy in Helsinki and its honorary consulates in Hämeenlinna, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kuopio, Oulu, Pori, Rovaniemi, Tampere and Turku. There are an estimated 6,000 Finns living in France. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Germany	4 January 1918	See Finland–Germany relations C.G.E. Mannerheim, Adolf Hitler and Risto Ryti in June 4th 1942 during Hitler's visit in Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin and Chancellor Olaf Scholz Germany recognised Finland's independence on January 4, 1918. Germany gave direct military support to Finnish independence by training Finnish Jägers and successfully intervened in Finnish Civil War in favor of the nationalist Whites. During World War II, the secret protocol in Molotov–Ribbentrop pact enabled Winter War (1939–40), a Soviet attack on Finland. Finland and Nazi Germany were "co-belligerents" against Soviet Union during Continuation War (1941–44), but a separate peace with Soviet Union led to the Finnish-German Lapland War (1944–45). The Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic (West and East Germany) were both recognised on January 7, 1972, by Finland. Diplomatic relations between Finland and West Germany were established on January 7, 1973. Finland has an embassy in Berlin, and consulate general in Hamburg, two honorary consulates general in Düsseldorf and Munich and other honorary consulates in Bremen, Dresden, Frankfurt am Main, Hanover, Kiel, Lübeck, Rostock, Stuttgart, and Wilhelmshaven. Germany has an embassy in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe.
Greece	5 January 1918	See Finland–Greece relations Prime Minister Sanna Marin with Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis in 2022 Greece recognised Finland's independence on January 5, 1918. Finland has an embassy in Athens. Greece has an embassy in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe.
Hungary	20 May 1947	See Finland–Hungary relations Hungary recognised Finland on August 23, 1920. Finland recognised Hungary on September 10, 1920. Finland broke off diplomatic relations on September 20, 1944. Diplomatic relations were re-established on May 20, 1947. Both national languages, Finnish and Hungarian, are Uralic languages, which has led to cultural exchange albeit at a much smaller scale compared to the third major Uralic-speaking country, Estonia. Finland has an embassy in Budapest and an honorary consulate in Pécs. Hungary has an embassy in Helsinki and four honorary consulates (in Turku, Mariehamn, Tampere and Joensuu). Both countries are full members of the European Union, NATO and the Council of Europe.
Iceland	15 August 1947	See Finland–Iceland relations Sanna Marin met the Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir in Kesäranta on 2022 Finland has an embassy in Reykjavík. Iceland has an embassy in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of the Nordic Council and the Nordic Passport Union, with no border controls or limitations on travel and residence. On cases concerning an individual, authorities must arrange translations between Finnish and Icelandic, if necessary. Both countries are full members of NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
Ireland	2 November 1961	Prime Minister Sanna Marin with Taoiseach, Prime Minister of Ireland Micheál Martin in 2022 Finland has an embassy in Dublin and three honorary consulates (in Cork, Dublin and Limerick). Ireland has an embassy in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of Council of Europe and of the European Union.
Italy	6 September 1919	See Finland–Italy relations Finnish President Sauli Niinistö with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Italy recognised Finland's independence on June 27, 1919. Finland has an embassy in Rome and two honorary consulate generals in Milan and Venice and other honorary consulates in Genoa, Bari, Cagliari, Catania, Florence, Livorno, Messina, Naples, Palermo, Rimini, Trieste and Turin. Italy has an embassy in Helsinki and its honorary consulates in Hanko, Jyväskylä, Kotka, Kuopio, Oulu, Pori, Rovaniemi, Tampere, Turku and Vaasa. Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
Kosovo	3 February 2009	Finland recognised Kosovo March 7, 2008. Finland maintains an embassy in Pristina.
Latvia	24 September 1919	See Finland–Latvia relations Prime Minister Sanna Marin met Latvia's Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš 12 February 2020 Finland recognised Latvia's independence de facto on September 24, 1919, and de jure on January 21, 1921. Finland has an embassy in Riga. Latvia has an embassy in Helsinki and four honorary consulates (in Åland, Satakunta, Kymenlaakso and Oulu). Both countries are full members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States, the European Union, NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
Lithuania	4 November 1919	See Finland–Lithuania relations