Government of Finland

08/14/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/14/2025 04:57

Deputy Director General appointed to Department for Africa, the Middle East and Latin America

Deputy Director General appointed to Department for Africa, the Middle East and Latin America

Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Publication date 14.8.2025 13.48 | Published in English on 14.8.2025 at 13.50
Type:Press release

At its session on Thursday 14 August, the Government appointed Timo Olkkonen as the new Deputy Director General of the Department for Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

Deputy Director General, Department for Africa, the Middle East and Latin America

Timo Olkkonen

The Government appointed Counsellor for Foreign Affairs Timo Olkkonen to serve as Deputy Director General of the Department for Africa, the Middle East and Latin America for a fixed term from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2029.

Olkkonen transfers to the post of Deputy Director General from the European External Action Service, where he has served as Head of EU Delegation in Zimbabwe and in South Sudan. Previously, he served as Head of Mission at Finland's Embassy in Lusaka in 2014-2018 and as Director of the Unit for General Development Policy and Planning at the Department for Development Policy in 2010-2014. In addition, Olkkonen has inter alia worked as a national expert at the European Commission's Directorate-General responsible for development cooperation, at Finland's Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels and at Finland's Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.

Olkkonen joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1999. He holds a Master of Arts degree.

Inquiries

  • Niina Pesonen, Director of Human Resources, Human Resources Unit, tel. +358 295 350 082
  • The email addresses of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are in the format [email protected]
administration of foreign affairs
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