Summary:
President Sauli Niinistö will attend the NATO summit in Brussels next week. Mr Niinistö has been invited to a working dinner on Wednesday and a meeting discussing the Afghanistan crisis management operation on Thursday.

In addition to the NATO member countries, the dinner includes Finland, Sweden and the EU. In 2014, Finland and Sweden received an invitation to expanded partnership with NATO.

President Niinistö has been at NATO Summits on a regular basis. He also attended the meeting in Warsaw in 2016, in Wales in 2014 and in Chicago in 2012.

Turun Sanomat reports that Teija Tiilikainen, Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs said to Lännen Media that President Sauli Niinistö may receive more attention at the NATO Summit due to the upcoming summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. President Niinistö may be inquired about any information he may have about the topics that could be discussed at the Helsinki summit.

The only information that has emerged about the upcoming summit is that Russia does not want to discuss the situation in Crimea. Last week, Presídent Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton was in Moscow for preparatory meeting of presidents.

Media:  Savon Sanomat, Turun Sanomat
Date: 3.7.2018
Journalist: STT
Main source:

Summary:
An official United States airplane landed at Turku Airport on Tuesday, prompting speculation that US President Donald Trump might visit Finnish President Sauli Niinistö’s summer residence in Naantali, ahead of the summit with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday 16 July.

A similar aircraft was spotted at Helsinki Airport on Sunday, but no officials agreed to give a statement on this. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs stated that « flights are coming and going ». According to the information for the media, « the Ministry has no opportunities to track air traffic ».

Media:  Iltalehti
Date: 3.7.2018
Journalist: Samuli Salminen
Main source:

Summary:
The meeting of Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in July 16 has necessitated fast preparations by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, states Kaleva.

Minister for Foreign Affairss Timo Soini said the task was quite difficult to pull off in a couple of weeks, but that the arrangements had started right away. Mr Soini is confident that the Ministry’s office will do what needs to be done. He said that no temporary external aid will be hired.

The summit will bring the world’s attention to Finland. Thousand of of guests are expected. Mr Soini decline to comment on the figure.

A large number of journalists will be present as well. There has been speculation that thousands may attend. Mr Soini said that « the whole world’s media » will be present at the summit. He sees the summit as a fine acknowledgment of Finland and its reliability.

The exact location of the summit has still not been confirmed, but the options include the Königstedt Manor in Vantaa and the Finlandia Hall. Mr Soini did not confirm the planned location for the summit, but noted that Helsinki had been stated as the location in official newsletters.

Media:  Kaleva
Date: 29.6.2018
Journalist: Anita Simola
Main source:

Summary:
The Finnish and German Foreign Ministers Timo Soini and Heiko Maas met last week in Finland. The foreign ministers want to deepen collaboration between Finland and Germany.

They discussed issues related to the arctic region and the European Union’s security and defence policy, particularly in the Baltic Sea region, among other things. Minister Soini pointed out that the Baltic Sea is important to all of the region’s countries both from an economic and security viewpoint. « This is sometimes forgotten, when we speak about the tension in Europe, » he said. According to Mr Soini, the Baltic Sea is a European sea and the key to both EU’s and NATO’s security.

In addition, Mr Soini emphasised the two countries’ experience and knowledge about the Baltic Sea region and the fact that it is important to share information between partners. « Therefore, the 29+2 collaboration is very useful in NATO, » Mr Soini added.

The ministers also discussed international trade, reducing friction in trade and respecting international rules. Minister Soini highlighted that Germany is a strategically important partner to Finland as it has similar opinions. He hoped that collaboration between the countries would become deeper, as well as collaboration in the Baltic Sea region and in NATO.

According to Minister Soini, he and Minister Maas asked civil servants to look for concrete areas in which the countries can do closer collaboration, such as in the EU defence collaboration or in the arctic region.

Minister Soini commented on the threat of trade war, saying that it would be very harmful. He pointed out that both Germany and Finland support free trade.

Media:  Iltalehti, Lapin Kansa
Date: 25.5.2018
Journalist:
Main source: Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini

Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö has been interviewed by Radio Helsinki. He was asked whether a major war seems more possible today than five years ago.

President Niinistö said that the current situation seems incomprehensible. Last autumn, there were news about a possible attack to Baltic States by Russia, in mid-winter a war was supposed to start in Korea and now the talks have shifted to Iran and Israel.

The President finds that the phenomenon is dangerous: the world changes in a minute and along with threats. Words like ballistic missile, nuclear weapon and war are used in everyday life, President Niinistö explained. At the beginning of his first term, there was no speculation over other than regional wars.

He finds there is a contradiction between the fast development of digitalisation, and the fact that the development is towards the better, while in thinking people are taking regressive steps.

Media:  Verkkouutiset.fi
Date: 28.5.2018
Journalist: Juha-Pekka Tikka
Main source: President Sauli Niinistö