Finland and the UK enjoy very good bilateral relations. The two countries are partners in democracy, culture, education and commerce. In politics, Finland and Britain cooperate bilaterally and multilaterally especially as EU partners; in trade, Britain is Finland’s fifth largest export market and Finland is Britain’s 20th, and in defence, British and Finnish troops work alongside each other on peacekeeping missions throughout the world.
The UK is the most popular destination for Finnish undergraduate students wishing to study overseas. Similarly, there are a growing number of British students coming to Finnish universities on short exchanges and for full degree courses, taking advantage of the many programmes now taught in English.
Finland and Britain have built on their historically close cultural ties and there is now a vibrant exchange of musicians, theatre and dance groups, artists and writers between the two countries.
Each year, large numbers of Finnish tourists visit the UK, many to enjoy the historical sites of London. Finland is increasing in popularity as a holiday destination for British people – Lapland is particularly popular with British families at Christmas.
