Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen

The Soviet–Finnish Non-Aggression Pact signed in Helsinki on 21 January 1932. On the left the Finnish foreign minister Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen, and on the right the Ambassador of the Soviet Union in Helsinki Ivan Maisky.[1]

Aarno Armas Sakari Yrjö-Koskinen (9 December 1885, Helsinki 8 June 1951, Helsinki)[2] was a Finnish politician, ambassador and freiherr. He graduated as jurist and received the title varatuomari in 1915.

After the Finnish independence in 1917, Yrjö-Koskinen served under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as Chief of political division from 1924 and Chief of staff from 1929. He worked as an ambassador in Moscow between 1 January 1931 and 8 April 1940 .

Yrjö-Koskinen also served as the Finnish Foreign Minister between 21 March 1931 and 14 December 1932. During his ministry Yrjö-Koskinen signed on behalf of Finland the Soviet–Finnish Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union. At beginning of the Winter War he moved from Moscow to the Finnish embassy in Ankara. Yrjö-Koskinen served in Turkey till 1950, and yet a small time in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Yrjö-Koskinen's father was the Finnish senator Yrjö Yrjö-Koskinen and grandfather was senator and historian Yrjö Koskinen.

Political offices
Preceded by
Hjalmar Procopé
Foreign Minister of Finland
1931–1932
Succeeded by
Antti Hackzell

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aarno Yrjö-Koskinen.
  1. Turtola, Martti (1999). "Kansainvälinen kehitys Euroopassa ja Suomessa 1930-luvulla". In Leskinen, Jari; Juutilainen, Antti. Talvisodan pikkujättiläinen (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö. pp. 13–46. ISBN 951-0-23536-9.
  2. Valtioneuvosto: Ministerikortisto: Yrjö-Koskinen, Aarno Armas Sakari