Helsinki - Finnish President Tarja Halonen on Friday formally ratified the European Union reform treaty. Parliament approved the Lisbon Treaty in June with a clear majority.

Halonen also urged the regional parliament of the Aland islands to ratify the treaty. The islands located in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden have autonomous status and constitute Finland's smallest province.

More than 90 per cent of the some 27,000 inhabitants are Swedish- speaking.

While the Aland parliament, known as the Lagting, is currently debating the treaty its consent is not "a prerequisite for the (Finnish) ratification," the Finnish government said.

Helsinki - Two Finnish paper and forestry groups announced plans to trim jobs on Wednesday, citing the need to cut costs amid lower worldwide demand for paper products.

Stora Enso, one of the world's largest pulp and paper concerns, said it planned to cut 1,700 jobs from its global workforce of 36,000 employees including 600 employees in Germany, 550 in Finland, 400 in Russia, and 150 in other countries.

The company estimated that by 2010 the measures would improve its operating profit by 140 million euros (197 million dollars).

Stora Enso chief executive Jouko Karvinen said the was move aimed at offsetting "anticipated increases in duties on roundwood imported from Russia."

Ljubljana/Helsinki- The office of Slovenian Prime Minister Janez
Jansa on Tuesday dismissed reports that he accepted bribes from Finnish
arms maker Patria.

Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) claimed the company paid 21
million euros (30 million dollars) to Slovenian officials to help
clinch a deal for the sale of 135 armoured personnel carriers.

In addition to Jansa, the recipients included civil servants in the country's defence ministry, the report said.

YLE said Jansa played a "key role" in the selection of Patria for
the 278-million euro deal and channeled some of the bribe money into

Helsinki/Vienna - Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, current chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said Tuesday that Russia "violates fundamental OSCE principles" by recognizing two Georgian separatist regions.

Condemning Moscow's decision to accept the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Stubb said "Russia should follow OSCE principles by respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia."

A special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council has been called for Wednesday, a spokesperson of the Vienna-based organization said.

Stubb also called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Georgia immediately, and to implement the ceasefire.

Helsinki  - Qualifying rounds were due late Thursday for hopefuls aiming to take part in the final of the Air Guitar World Championships held in Oulu, northern Finland.

Performers pretend to play rock or heavy-metal electric guitar solos without an instrument, and their skills are assessed by a jury.

Among the contestants is world champion Ochi Yosuke of Japan, winner in 2006 and 2007.

Just before the final due on Friday evening there will be a special ceremony to "promote world peace" as competitors and spectators were to join in a parade in the city of Oulu and listen to a declaration of peace.

Helsinki - Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb is slated to travel to Georgia on Thursday, the Finnish Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

Finland currently holds the chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that was slated to deploy more military observers in Georgia and near the breakway region of South Ossetia.

Stubb is due to meet with President Mikheil Saakashvili, the OSCE mission and also to discuss humanitarian needs in the region.