Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Finland)

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (MFA) is a ministry in the Finnish Government and is responsible for preparing and implementing the government's foreign policy.

Organisation

The ministry had a total budget in 2009 of 1176 million euros, of which 746 million is targeted at development cooperation and 202 million euros at ministry's operating costs. The total Finland's official development assistance expenditure in 2009 was 916 million euros, which represents approximately 0.47% of the Finnish gross national income.

It employs approximately 1600 people (of whom approximately 1030 are women) and maintains 97 overseas offices housing foreign missions. Since 1987 the ministry has been concentrated in the Katajanokka district of Helsinki.

Three ministers in the current Jyrki Katainen's government have portfolios relating to the ministry:

• Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is in overall political control of the ministry
• Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade
• Minister for International Development

The most senior civil servant is the Secretary of State, and is assisted by four Under-Secretaries of State with responsibilities allocated as follows:

• Administrative, Legal and Protocol Affairs
• Foreign and Security Policy, Communications and Culture
• External Economic Affairs
• International Development Cooperation and Development Policy

Below these, the ministry is divided into twelve...
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