Sakari Tuomioja

Sakari Severi Tuomioja (29 August 1911 – 9 September 1964) was a Finnish politician and diplomat who served as Prime Minister of Finland between 1953–1954 and as Minister for Foreign Affairs between 1951–1952 and as the Governor of the Bank of Finland between 1945–1955. He was also Finland's ambassador in London and Stockholm.

Tuomioja was the first Finn in high-level United Nations missions. In particular, he is remembered for acting as a mediator in the Cyprus crisis of 1963–64 and his abrupt death in the performance of his duties. Tuomioja was also the first Finnish invited to the Bilderberg Group meetings.

Life Sakari Tuomioja's spouse was Vappu Tuomioja (née Wuolijoki), and they had two children, daughter Tuuli and son Erkki who has followed his father career in politics as Foreign Minister.

The parents of Sakari Tuomioja were Walto Wihtori Tuomioja and Laina Sofia Tuomioja (née. Boman). Walto Wihtori Tuomioja was Leader of the National Progressive Party and Member of Parliament, and Eljas Erkko's predecessor as Editor-in-Chief in Helsingin Sanomat newspaper.

Tuomioja was released from conscription for reasons of health. Tuomioja was appointed Governor of the Bank of Finland, in 1945 after Risto Ryti had resigned because of his sentencing for war guilt.

Between 1950 and 1951, he was Minister of Trade and Industry and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Kekkonen I Government. Between 1951 and 1952, he was Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Kekkonen III Government. Tuomioja was appointed on 11 April 1950 to head the Finnish delegation in trade negotiations with the Soviet Union. A five-year trade agreement was agreed and signed on 13 June.

As Finland fought for economic difficulties at the beginning of the 1950s, the export industry had to work to improve its position. Talks on the cost crisis brought Tuomioja together with Teuvo Aura to devise a hard-to-find cost reduction program. Tuomioja did see devaluation as solution. Urho Kekkonen, who served as Prime Minister, was suspicious of the program but started to drive it.

Eventually, Kekkonen's Cabinet fell when the Social Democratic Party opposed the implementation of the program, after which a minority government chaired by the Agrarian Party was formed with Kekkonen as Prime Minister.

The UN Security Council paid respects to Tuomioja with a minute of silence. Secretary-General U Thant said in his memo that Tuomioja served meritoriously not only as a patriot but also as a very skilful UN mediator. He was succeeded by Galo Plaza as mediator in the Cyprus dispute.