Pipeliners

MOSCOW, April 20, 2009 - (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev begins a two-day visit to Finland on Monday to discuss bilateral economic ties, energy issues, including the Nord Stream project, and prospects for signing a pan-European security pact. A Kremlin aide said Medvedev is making the visit at the invitation of his Finnish counterpart Tarja Halonen. "The agenda for the visit envisages top-level talks and a meeting with the parliament's leadership," Sergei Prikhodko said. Energy cooperation is expected to feature highly on the agenda, with Russia meeting 100% of Finland's gas needs as well as exporting some 70% of the country's crude oil supplies. "When discussing issues concerning the construction of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, running under the Baltic Sea across the Finnish economic zone, the accent will focus on the observance of the strictest environmental requirements during the project's implementation," the presidential aide said. Environmental approval is required from Finland, as well as Sweden, Denmark and Germany, to build the pipeline which will cross their territorial waters. Other Baltic nations are also involved in talks to discuss potential border cooperation as part of the project. The pipeline's first leg of some 1,200 km with an annual capacity of 27.5 billion cu m of gas is planned to be commissioned in 2010. Work to launch the second line is expected to be completed by 2012. Moscow also expects the two presidents to focus on bilateral economic ties, primarily in engineering, shipbuilding, material production and optoelectronics. Bilateral trade between Russia and Finland stood at a record high $22.4 billion in 2008, up 42.1% against 2007. However, Russian-Finnish trade dropped by 38.2% year-on-year amid the financial crisis in January 2009. Prospects for signing a pan-European security pact initiated by Medvedev as well as cooperation between Russia and the European Union and plans to reform international financial system are also likely to be raised. "Medvedev will be eager to discuss with Halonen the results of the G20 summit. We also think it is important to understand how our Finnish partners view the bilateral efforts to overcome the consequences of the global economic crisis," Prikhodko said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, presidential aides Arkady Dvorkovich and Sergei Prikhodko, Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina and some other high-ranking officials are accompanying Medvedev in his visit. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the Grand Duchy of Finland, which preceded modern day Finland, as part of the Russian Empire. Finland was annexed by Russia as an autonomous Grand Duchy in 1809 following defeat by Sweden at the hands of Russia's Tsar Alexander I until December 1917 when it declared its independence. The Finnish president is due to attend a number of events in St. Petersburg this year as part of the festivities.