The Government of Finland has proposed that the President of the Republic authorise Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen or, if he is unable to do so, Minister of Transport Anu Vehviläinen to sign the Saimaa Canal lease agreement between the Republic of Finland and the Russian Federation.
The Government submitted this proposal on 25 March and the President is expected to confirm the signature authorisations on 30 March.
The agreement is expected to be signed when the Finnish and Russian prime ministers next meet, in Lappeenranta at the end of May.
