Finland

VAALIMAA, Finland, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Finland said on Thursday it was considering barring most Russians from entering the country as traffic across the border from its eastern neighbour "intensified" following President Vladimir Putin's order for a partial military mobilisation.

Finnish land border crossings have remained among the few entry points into Europe for Russians after a string of Western countries shut both physical frontiers and their air space to Russian planes in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

HELSINKI, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Finland will slash the number of visas issued to Russians from Sept. 1, the Finnish foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, amid a rush of Russian tourists bound for Europe.

Finnish land border crossings have remained among the few entry points into Europe for Russians after a string of Western countries closed their airspace to Russian planes in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine.

HELSINKI, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Finland ranks first in the European Union's (EU) digital performance comparison, according to a press release issued by the Finnish government on Thursday.

The maximum score in the European Commission's annual Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) comparison is 100, and Finland's score is 69.6 this year. The EU average is 52.3. Finland finished ahead of Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden.

HELSINKI (AP) — Estonia’s governing center-right Reform Party of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has reached a tentative deal to form a coalition government with two other parties, ending a month-long political stalemate in the Baltic nation.

Kallas, prime minister of the European Union and NATO nation since January 2021, kicked out the left-leaning Center Party from the two-party coalition on June 3 following disputes over spending and welfare policies amid increasing household costs due to high inflation.

HELSINKI, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday she has tested positive for COVID-19.

Marin, 36, tweeted that her temperature rose Tuesday night and a home test turned out positive, but her symptoms were mild.

The prime minister said that on account of her recent intense travel schedule, she had taken home tests regularly and the results had been negative earlier during the week.

HELSINKI, May 19 (Reuters) - The NATO alliance has not expressed any interest in placing nuclear weapons or permanent bases in Finland, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin told an Italian newspaper in an interview published on Thursday during a visit to Rome.

"There isn't even interest (within NATO) to put nuclear weapons or bases in Finland," Marin told daily Corriere della Sera, her office said.

HELSINKI, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Finland's president and the government's foreign policy committee on Sunday took the official decision to start the process of the country's application to become a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

15 May 2022; MEMO: Finland's President Sauli Niinisto confirmed on Sunday that his country would apply for membership of the NATO military alliance, in a historic policy shift prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reports.

Moscow, which shares a 1,300 km (800 mile) border with Finland, has said it would be a mistake for Helsinki to join the 30-strong transatlantic alliance and that it would harm bilateral ties.

HELSINKI/KHARKIV, Ukraine, May 12 (Reuters) - Finland said on Thursday it would apply to join NATO "without delay", with Sweden expected to follow, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine looked set to bring about the very expansion of the Western military alliance that Vladimir Putin aimed to prevent.

HELSINKI, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Thursday publicly supported the idea of Finland applying to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

"Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay. We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days," the two leaders said in a joint statement, arguing that NATO membership would strengthen Finland's security.