Russian, Finnish premiers to discuss bilateral relations.

ST.PETERSBURG, October 25 (Itar-Tass) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
will meet his Finnish counterpart Matti Vanhanen on Sunday to discuss a
wide range of issues concerning bilateral relations - the state and
prospects of cooperation during the global economic crisis as well as
joint projects, the Russian government press service told Itar-Tass.

Special attention will be given to energy cooperation, primarily the
construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline. At the moment, the Finnish
authorities are considering a request for permission to build the pipeline
through Finland's economic zone in the Baltic Sea.
Other topics for discussion include cooperation in science and
technology, investments and transport, as well as bilateral and
international environmental cooperation in the Baltic region. Putin and
Vanhanen plan to focus specifically on cooperation in the forestry sector
and wood processing. They will also attend a Russian-Finnish forest summit
now underway in St. Petersburg.
The prime ministers will open the House of Finland in St. Petersburg,
a centre of Finnish culture, science and business.
The Finnish government will discuss the North European gas pipeline
at a meeting on October 29. The cabinet of ministers will have to decide
weather it should allow Finland's economic zone to be used for the project
needs in the Baltic Sea. This is one of the three documents the
Russian-German company Nord Stream should receive from Finland before it
can start building the gas pipeline.
The West Finland Regional Environment Centre has approved the first of
the three documents. In September it allowed Nord Stream to clear the
bottom of the Bay of Finland of mines along the pipeline route.
Experts say there may be several dozen mines in that area. A
50-metre-wide corridor has been chosen for laying the pipeline, and 27
explosive devices were found in the Finnish economic zone and one in the
Swedish economic zone. These are WW1 and WW2 munitions of the German,
Finnish and Russian make. This work is scheduled for 2010 and may take
several weeks. Experts find it difficult to assess what effects these
de-mining works will have on environment.
Nord Stream also needs permission from environmental authorities in
accordance with Finland's Water Code.
At the same time, Russia's German partners in the construction of the
1,200-kilometer-long Nord Stream are sure that Finland will be next to
join the project. Several days ago Denmark (the first out of five Baltic
States) gave permission for the construction of a 140-ikometer section of
the pipeline in its territorial waters.
Klaus Mangold, the head of the German Committee on East European
Economic Relations, said works to lay down the Nord Stream pipeline would
begin as early as spring 2010. He thinks that Finland or Sweden could be
next to join the project.

. Lenin's damaged statue taken away for renovation.

ST.PETERSBURG, October 25 (Itar-Tass) - A monument to Vladimir Lenin
near the Finnish Railway Station in St. Petersburg was dismantled from its
basement and taken away for renovation on Saturday. The dismantling works
started late on Friday and continued all through the night.
Vandals blew up the statue that depicted Lenin speaking from an
armored vehicle early on April 1, 2009. The explosion equivalent to 300
grams of TNT left a hole at the back of the 4-ton figure. Its restoration
at the State Museum of City Sculpture will take from six to seven months
and will cost eight million roubles.
The St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matvienko promised the Communist
Party leader Gennady Zyuganov that Lenin's statue would return to the
pedestal after the restoration in the spring of 2010. The re-installment
may coincide with Lenin's birthday marked on April 22.

.Economic cooperation to dominate Russo-Finnish talks.

HELSINKI, October 25 (Itar-Tass) - Trade and economic cooperation
between Russia and Finland, the wood industry, ecology and key
international issues will dominate talks between Finnish Prime Minister
Matti Vanhanen and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
The two prime ministers will meet in St. Petersburg on Sunday to
discuss world economic and financial crisis, bilateral cooperation in the
wood industry and environmental issues including preparations for the
December Climate Summit in Copenhagen, the press centre of the Finnish
State Council told Itar-Tass.
Other topics on the agenda include Finnish-Russian trade and economic
cooperation, border and customs issues and bilateral problems.
Four Finnish ministers will accompany Matti Vanhanen on his one-day
trip. They are Paavo Vayrynen, the Minister for Foreign Trade and
Development; Mauri Pekkarinen, the Minister of Economic Affairs; Anu
Vehvilainen, the Minister of Transport, and Sirkka-Liisa Anttila, the
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.
Together with Prime Minister Putin Matti Vanhanen will attend the
third Russian-Finish forestry summit that will focus on investments and
innovations, the use of wood resources and bilateral cooperation in the
fields of research and personnel training.
The Finnish delegation includes about 130 state officials and
businessmen.
The Finnish and Russian prime ministers will be present at the opening
of the House of Finland in St. Petersburg.