Marja-Liisa Kiljunen

Marja-Liisa Kiljunen (born Mäkinen on 17 August 1950 in Heinola) is a Finnish diplomat and economist. She has been Finnish Ambassador to Lithuania and Belarus from 2008 to 2012.

Biography Kiljunen studied political history at the University of Helsinki, earning a Master's degree in 1978. She then worked as a researcher at the University of Helsinki, with a focus on development economics and regional integration.

On 1 September 2008, Kiljunen was named Ambassador of Finland to Lithuania, presenting her credentials on 17 September 2008. She was the fourth ambassador since the restoration of Lithuania's independence in 1991. She was also accredited to Belarus, with Finland opening a representative office in Minsk on 1 October 2010.

During her tenure in Vilnius, the country celebrated the millennium of the name of Lithuania in 2009, as Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture. A new embassy building was inaugurated, also hosting the embassy of Norway and the residence of the ambassador of Japan. During this time, Finland and Lithuania strengthened their defence and economic bonds, and the Nordic model of gender equality and minority rights gained influence in Lithuania.

Personal life Kiljunen married social-democratic politician and fellow researcher Kimmo Kiljunen in 1972. They filed for divorce on 21 October 2008. They raised two daughters, Rauha and Riikka and two sons, Veikko and actor .

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