OREANDA-NEWS On 20-27 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will visit Tokyo, Seoul and the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

In Tokyo Minister Timo Soini will meet the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Taro Kono. The ministers will discuss bilateral relations on the basis of the joint statement on the strategic partnership between the countries given in 2016. Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Finland and Japan. The ministers will also talk about the relations between the EU and Japan, Russia, situation in the Korean Peninsula, and closer cooperation in multilateral issues.

During the visit Minister Soini will also meet representatives of the Japanese Parliamentary Friendship Group with Finland and talk at an event of the Japan National Press Club (JNPC). All national and local media representatives are members of the JNPC. In his speech Minister Soini will highlight the importance of a rule-based international order.

From Tokyo Minister Soini will travel to Seoul. During the visit to South Korea Soini will meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea Kang Kyung-wha. The topics to be discussed include bilateral relations between Finland and South Korea and the situation in the Korean Peninsula. This is the first meeting between the two Foreign Ministers, and the aim is to further strengthen Finland’s relations with South Korea.

Also on the agenda is a visit to the demilitarised zone between South and North Korea and to the South Korean Parliament and meetings with other experts on the situation in the Korean Peninsula. Foreign Minister Soini will also visit the XXIII Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in South Korea.