The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Timo Soini, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland.

The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister exchanged views on the current developments on Syria and Libya, and agreed on the imperative of reaching political solutions.

The Secretary-General thanked Finland for its strong leadership on conflict prevention and mediation and underlined the importance of Finland as a strategic partner of the United Nations on prevention, mediation and peacekeeping efforts.

The Secretary-General reiterated his call for a collective and comprehensive response to the challenges associated with the increased movement of refugees and migrants to Europe.

The Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister also shared their views on issues related to women, peace and security. The Secretary-General congratulated Finland for its dedicated and long standing work on this issue, as well as, more broadly, its support for women’s empowerment and the work of UN Women.