OREANDA-NEWS On Friday 31 March 2017, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the current situation in Syria.

Finland considers it important that political negotiations have continued in Geneva, led by the UN Special Envoy for Syria. The situation in Syria, however, is still very difficult. The country-wide ceasefire agreement, which came into effect at the end of 2016, has not held. Finland urges Russia, Turkey and Iran, as the guarantors of the ceasefire, to take action to calm the situation. Access to humanitarian aid must be ensured. The topics discussed also included the preparation for the international conference on Syria in Brussels on 5 April, which is part of the series of pledging conferences for Syria.

The relations between Finland and China were also discussed. The President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping will make a state visit to Finland on 4–6 April. The visit, which also celebrates the Finland 100 anniversary year, is the first state visit from China to Finland since 1995. The President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö visited China in 2013.

The current situation in Russia, bilateral relations between Finland and Russia and Finland’s Chairmanship of the Arctic Council were also on the agenda at the meeting.