Finnish-Slovenian relations are foreign relations between Finland and Slovenia. Finland recognised Slovenia on January 17, 1992. Both countries established diplomatic relations on February 17, 1992. Finland has an embassy and an honorary consulate in Ljubljana. Slovenia has an embassy in Helsinki. Both countries are full members of the European Union. Trade relations between the two countries have become stronger in recent years.
Tensions between the countries rose in late 2008 when a news program on Finland's national broadcasting company station YLE accused Finnish weapons manufacturer Patria of bribing Slovenian officials to secure an arms deals. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa formally complained to the Finnish ambassador in Ljubljana. The deal with the Slovenian armed forces was signed in December 2006 and included 135 armoured personnel carriers and 120 mm mortars worth some €280 million, according to the largest Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat. On March 26, Slovenia's Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) raided the homes of several suspects involved in the alleged bribery affair. The BCI, which has been working with Finnish and Austrian police authorities, suspects that monies arising from the alleged bribery may have been routed through banks in Austria.
Outside of the Patria deal, the annual trade exchange between the two countries was worth about 150 million Euros.
Trade between Slovenia and Finland was reportedly growing steadily before the beginning of the crisis in 2008 but between January and October 2009, trade fell by almost 30% to EUR 98m. Slovenia's imports exceeded exports, with exports amounting to some EUR 43m while imports stood at EUR 55m.
The two countries have established the following bilateral agreements:
Agreement on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
Agreement concerning the Abolition of Visas
Agreement on Succession to Treaties Concluded between the Former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Finland
Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments and the Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation in the Fields of Education, Science and Culture
The Agreement on International Transport of Passengers and Goods by Road
1997
Speaker of Parliament Riitta Uosukainen, January
Minister of European Affairs Ole Norrback, October
1998
Minister of Foreign Affairs Tarja Halonen, March
Grand Committee of the Parliament of Finland, November
President Martti Ahtisaari, December
Minister of Economic Relations and Development of Slovenia Marjan Senjur, June
State Secretary of Slovenia Franco Juri, October
1999
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Boris Frlec, November
2001
Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja, April
2002
Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen, January
Minister of Foreign Trade of Finland Jari Vilén, September
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Koskinen, September
Commerce Committee of the Parliament of Finland, September
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel, September
2003
Under- State Secretary of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Jaakko Laajava, October
Minister of European Affairs of Slovenia Janez Potočnik, May
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of Slovenia Franci But, May
Minister of Information Society of Slovenia Pavel Gantar, May
Prime Minister of Slovenia Anton Rop, September
2004
Minister of Regional and Municipal Affairs Hannes Manninen, April
Minister of Transport and Communications Leena Luhtanen, May
Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, September
Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Finland, September
State Secretary (Ministry for Foreign Affairs) Arto Mansala, September
Speaker of the Grand Committee of the Parliament of Finland Jari Vilén, September
President of Slovenia Janez Drnovšek, February
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel, February
Minister of the Economy of Slovenia Tea Petrin, February
Minister of Education of Slovenia Slavko Gaber, February
2005
Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Paula Lehtomäki, May
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel, August
President of Finland Tarja Halonen, October
Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja, December
2006
Finnish parliament friendship group, May
Jože P. Damijan, April
Prime Minister of Slovenia Janež Janša, November
2007
Minister of Migration and European Affairs Astrid Thors, September
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sirkka-Liisa Anttila, September
Finland and Slovenia are both members in the United Nations, the European Union, the Eurozone, the Schengen area, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
