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Medvedev accepted invitation to Finland

Dmitrii Medvedev (kremlin.ru)

President Dmitry Medvedev accepted an invitation from his Finnish counterpart Tarja Halonen to visit Finland, but could not promise to drop the new export tariffs on timber.

Location

Halonen attended the fifth world congress of Finno-Ugric peoples in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiisk.

- Although Finland is a very small country, it is well-known to me. I visited your country previously, but I have not been there in my new capacity [of the president] and that is why I will be very glad to come on a visit, Medvedev said according to RIA Novosti.

No date was set for the president’s visit to Finland.

At the Siberia meeting on Saturday, Halonen said she made it clear to the Russians what impact the new wood tariffs would have on Finland. The increased export tariffs of timber from Russia to the Finnish wood-processing industry could result in the loss of thousands of jobs in Finland.

Russia’s policy is aimed at developing timber processing in its own territory.

Medvedev and Halonen agreed at the meeting in Khanty-Mansiisk to restart negotiations over wood tariffs. YLE news reports that new talks would be led by Minister of Foreign Trade Paavo Väyrynen and Russia’s Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Elvira Nabiullina.