November 29, 2025 | 03:01 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government of Finland on Friday decided to close its embassies in Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in 2026 as part of reforms to its foreign missions.
"The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has decided to close the embassies of Finland in Islamabad, Kabul and Yangon in 2026," the ministry said in a statement as reported by Daily Finland.
The closure is reportedly based on operational and strategic considerations, as well as the changing political situations and limited trade and economic relations with Finland in those countries.
At the same time, a new consulate general was opened in Houston earlier this year as part of the Finnish government's initiative to expand its presence in the United States.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs periodically reviews how well Finland's foreign mission network meets current and future needs.
This year, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs launched a strategic review of the mission network, taking into account Finland's foreign policy and security interests, as well as the needs of export promotion activities.
As a result of the review, the ministry will submit proposals for the closure and opening of missions. The aim is to focus resources on countries that are strategically important to Finland.
"We will systematically develop Finland’s network of missions abroad to meet future challenges. Our operating environment is changing rapidly. The changes to be made will help us to build a stronger and more competitive Finland and to manage Finland's external relations in accordance with our priorities," said Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen in the press release.
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