MFA: Foreign Minister Soini to Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels

The topics of discussion on the agenda are China, Yemen and Moldova. China's State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the ministers' lunch meeting. Minister Timo Soini will also attend a breakfast organised by Romania and Greece together with their main guest, North Macedonia's Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov.

Foreign ministers will hold a thorough debate on China in order to lay ground for the EU-China summit to be held in April. Central questions will include the EU-China relations, China's current political and economic situation, including human rights, and the problematic areas in the China-US relations. Finland emphasises that it is important to seek new means for committing China to the rules-based international system in active cooperation with China and for encouraging the country to launch reforms, for example relating to improvements in the business environment.

In the discussion concerning Yemen, foreign ministers will focus on the current political situation in the country, the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement, and the EU's support for a political solution to the conflict in Yemen. Finland considers it important that effective solutions be found for the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen.

Election observers have reported of several problems in the parliamentary elections held in Moldova on 24 February 2019. Foreign ministers will discuss the post-election situation and the next steps in the EU-Moldova cooperation. Finland considers it vital that the EU continue its support for Moldova's internal reforms to ensure the implementation of representative democracy.  

The Foreign Affairs Council will also take note of the 5th anniversary of the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia.

Inquiries: Katja Kalamäki, Diplomatic Adviser to the Foreign Minister Soini, tel. +358 295 351 518 and Matti Nissinen, European Correspondent, tel. +358 295 351 780.

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