Enckell was one of the few Finnish politicians who had experience about foreign relations; during the first years of independence he was Minister of Foreign affairs in Lauri Ingman's cabinet 1918–1919 after which he was appointed Finnish Representative in Paris. In the peace negotiations that followed the First World War, Finland took distance from Germany to get recognition for its independence from the Allies. Finland also sought for support in Åland crisis that had emerged with Sweden, which demanded the group of islands to itself. Enckell led the Finnish delegation in peace negotiations in Paris in 1919. League of Nations processed the position of Åland in 1920–1921; Enckell procrastinated the case to a more favourable point, when the ethnic minorities' demands for self-determination were not topical any more. In 1921 League of Nations resolved the dispute in favour of Finland, largely due to Enckell's diplomatic endeavour. After managing complicated political questions successfully in Saint Petersburg, Paris and League of Nations, Enckell became reputable for his excellent diplomatic skills.