Finland–United States relations

Finland-United States relations are bilateral relations between Finland and the United States.

History

Relations between the United States and Finland are warm. Some 200,000 U.S. citizens visit Finland annually, and about 3,000 U.S. citizens are resident there. The U.S. has an educational exchange program in Finland that is comparatively large for a Western European country of Finland’s size. It is financed in part from a trust fund established in 1976 from Finland’s final repayment of a U.S. loan made in the aftermath of World War I.

Finland is bordered on the east by Russia and, as one of the former Soviet Union’s neighbours, has been of particular interest and importance to the US both during the Cold War and in its aftermath. Before the USSR dissolved in 1991, longstanding US policy was to support Finnish neutrality while maintaining and reinforcing Finland’s historic, cultural, and economic ties with the West. The US has welcomed Finland’s increased participation since 1991 in Western economic and political structures.

Economic and trade relations between Finland and the United States are active and were bolstered by the F-18 purchase. U.S.-Finland trade totals almost $5 billion annually. The U.S. receives about 7% of Finland’s exportsndash mainly pulp and paper, ships, machinery, electronics,instruments, and refined petroleum products [Finnish Customs statistics for 2006. http://www.tulli.fi/resources/tekstiversio.jsp?pageoid=24045] ndash and provides about 7% of its importsndash principally computers, semiconductors, aircraft, machinery.

Principal U.S. officials include
* Ambassador--Barbara McConnell Barrett
* Deputy Chief of Mission--Amy Hyatt
* Public Affairs Counselor--Nicole Conn
* Political Section Chief--Greg Thome
* Labor Attache (Pol)--Lisa Conesa
* Economic Section Chief--Jane Messenger
* Management Officer--Ted Plosser
* Commercial Officer--Brian McCleary
* Defense Attache--Joy Shasteen
* Consular Officer--Pirkko Urli
* Regional Security Officer--Bruce Warren
* Agricultural Officer--Stephen Huete (resident in The Hague)

The U.S. Embassy in Finland is located in Helsinki.

See also

* Foreign relations of the United States
* Foreign relations of Finland

References

StateDept [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3238.htm#relations]