MFA: Finland's Presidency of the Council of the EU and the learning crisis to be discussed in Pori

Finland’s six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union has just started. Challenges abound in EU policy but the Presidency of the Council of the EU also offers an opportunity to exert influence. What are the matters that Finland wants to promote during its Council Presidency? What is the role civil society organisations during Finland’s Presidency? On Wednesday 17 July at 14.30, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will discuss topical EU matters with Jouni Ovaska, Chair of the European Movement Finland. The discussion on the Purje stage will be hosted by Rita Strömmer, the journalist.

Finland's Presidency of the Council of the EU will show in many ways in Pori. Representatives of the Foreign Ministry’s Europe Information and the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Movement Finland and Young European Federalists (JEF) will be present at Pori Kansalaistori the whole week.

On Tuesday 16 July at 13.00, the global learning crisis will be discussed in a debate organised by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Finn Church Aid. Two top specialists, Ritva Reinikka, Ph.D. in Economics, and Hanna Alasuutari, Education Specialist at the World Bank, together with Arto Tenhunen, CEO and Co-founder of Soprano Plc, Inka Hopsu , a teacher and MP, and Piia Pelimanni, a volunteer worker at Teachers Without Borders, will explore solutions for the crisis. The debate at the Bepop stage will be hosted by Riku Rantala.

Ministers and several representatives of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will attend also events arranged by other organisers during SuomiAreena. A comprehensive list of the events and speakers is available on the SuomiAreena website (in Finnish).  

SuomiAreena can be followed on the Ministry's social media channels using #UMPori and #EU2019FI. The discussion can also be followed on MTV Katsomo. 

Inquiries: Sara Haalahti, Communications Officer, tel. +358 295 350 089, and Ville Cantell, Director of Unit, tel. +358 295 351 847.

The Foreign Ministry’s email addresses are in the format firstname.lastname@formin.fi.