Welcome to my homepage!

I have worked as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland since April 2008. It's a fascinating job. There is nothing like representing a dynamic country from the north-eastern corner of Europe.

My party, Kokoomus (centre-right liberal), is in a coalition government with the Centre Party, the Green League and the Swedish People's Party of Finland. In total there are 20 ministers in the Cabinet. You can find the Government Programme here.

I must admit that I am a bit of an EU nerd. I used to work as a civil servant in Helsinki and Brussels. I came to government from the European Parliament where my focus was on the institutions and the internal market of the EU.

I hope that these pages will give you a flavour of the type of work done by the Foreign Minister of Finland. In my blog you will find an almost daily analysis of foreign policy affairs - the ups and the downs. And yes, I know, I should write more in English.

You can also have a laugh at my personal section where I try to explain who I am, or at least who I think I am.

The publications section gives you a flavour of my columns, articles and books. It also includes some speeches and Press Releases.

In the picture gallery, you will find photos from the corridors of the Ministry and elsewhere. Please check out my assistants too; they try to keep me under control. I call them my "Yes, Minister" gang.

Feedback is always welcome, so drop me a line or two and tell me what you think. You'll find my contact details above.

Increase the Peace!