Foreign relations of Finland
Country Formal Relations Began Notes
Algeria 18 January 1963 Algeria is represented in Finland through its embassy in Stockholm , Sweden . 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
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 . Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs : relations with Ethiopia
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 . Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs : relations with Kenya
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 . Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs : relations with Morocco
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 . Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs : relations with Mozambique
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 has an embassy in Helsinki . 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 . Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs : relations with South Africa South African Department of Foreign Affairs : relations with 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 . Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs : relations with Tanzania
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 . Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs : relations with Tunisia
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 . Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs : relations with Zambia
Africa
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. 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.