Finland closes Int´l Press Center after 87 years of operation

Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Thursday closed the International Press Center (IPC), which has been operated by the Ministry for the last 87 years, said an official press release on Friday.

The ministry closed the centre due to its reduced activity in recent years and the need to allocate resources to other communications activities, said the Ministry.

Over the years, the resources available for communications became inadequate while the communications environment has become more demanding.

The Press Center has held its place in the Finnish media landscape since 1939. During the Winter War, a press room was opened for foreign correspondents in Hotel Kämp in Helsinki.

For the last few years, the Ministry provided working space for journalists accredited to the Press Center and it came to an end in 2020, when the Ministry moved to the premises due to want of available space.

In the past few years, services have been limited to issuing press cards.

The number of journalists accredited to the Press Center has also declined significantly during the recent year.

The number was more than 70 in 2017, but had fallen to 46 by 2020, and in autumn 2025 their number was only 35.

A press card issued by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs or accreditation to the Press Center are not required for international journalists to work in Finland, nor do they replace the need for accreditation to media events hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs or other authorities.

The decision to close the Press Center is not related to the project to bring government communications under one roof in the Prime Minister's Office.

However, the decisions on savings and centralising communications reinforce the decision to close the Press Center.