18-08-08 One of Finland's most experienced politicians, Paavo Lipponen, has been hired to the job as consultant for the controversial Nord Stream project, the Russian-controlled gas pipeline which is to run across the Baltic Sea.
Mr Lipponen, Finnish prime minister from 1995 to 2003 and then speaker in the Finnish Parliament 2003-2007 will mediate relations between Nord Stream and the Finnish government. When Prime Minister, Mr Lipponen was the formal initiator of the Northern Dimension, the concept which is developing into an important contact platform between the northern parts of the EU and Northwest Russia.

Lipponen says that he agreed to take the job in a meeting with Nord Stream CEO Matthias Warning in Berlin and shareholders' committee chairman, former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Lipponen emphasises that during his one-year mission, he will not be an employee to Nord Stream, but rather an advisor serving as an independent contact person.
"Independence here means that I will operate between two sides. I can bring Finnish officials views from the management of Nord Stream, and I can relay messages from Finnish decision-makers," he said.

Nord Stream will be the first pipeline linking Russia directly with Germany.
It will be fuelled partly with gas from the Shtokman field in the Barents Sea.