Ms. Paula Lehtomäki

Paula Lehtomäki was elected to parliament in Finland in 1999, representing the country's Centre Party. In 2002, she became the party's vice president. In addition to her constituency duties, she was a member of the Nordic Council from 1999-2003 and a member and  vice chairperson of the Finnish Delegation to the Council of Europe in 2003.

When the Centre Party won the parliamentary elections in 2003, she was offered a seat in the government. Her ministerial portfolio combines responsibility for both external trade and international development. In addition, she is Minister at the Prime Minister's Office with responsibilities over European Affairs.

Paula Lehtomäki earned a bachelor's degree in social sciences from the University of Turku in 1996 and a master's degree in economics from the Turku School of Economics and Business Administration in 1999. She has also studied at the University of Saint Petersburg and speaks Russian fluently.

As a government minister she has taken a keen interest in matters concerning Russia and the Baltic region. She was born in 1972 in the town of Kuhmo, in north-east Finland.