Finland

Nokia has struck a 15.6 billion euro deal to buy its rival Alcatel-Lucent to create the world's biggest supplier of mobile phone network equipment, both companies said April 15.
     
The Finnish telecom giant has agreed to give shareholders in its Franco-American rival 0.55 shares in the new merged company for every one of their own.
      

Finland's Nokia announced on April 14 that it was in advanced talks to purchase all of its Franco-American rival Alcatel-Lucent.

"Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent confirm that they are in advanced discussions with respect to a potential full merger, which would take the form of a public exchange offer by Nokia for Alcatel-Lucent," said a statement.

BELGRADE - An international military exercise dubbed Logex 15 will be held at the Serbian Armed Forces (VS) Headquarters centre for simulation training from May 4 to 15, the VS have posted on their website.

The exercise is held every two years as part of a partnership with NATO, and it is organised in coordination with the US Armed Forces.

Russia as "gravest challenge to European security"

OSLO -- Defense ministers of Nordic countries have published a joint statement in a newspaper referring to Russia as "the gravest challenge to security of Europe."

The piece published in Aftenposten, Norway's highest circulation newspaper, was signed by defense ministers of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.

HELSINKI ? Greece could be forced to leave the eurozone soon if it fails to meet the conditions laid down by the Eurogroup to receive further funding, the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said on Thursday, quoting a secret memorandum by the Finnish Finance Ministry.

Greece could be forced to leave the eurozone soon if it fails to meet the conditions laid down by the Euro Group to receive further funding, the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat said, quoting a secret memorandum by the Finnish finance ministry.

Finland holds firm

Finnish Finance Minister Antti Rinne told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the decisions are clear and that Greece “will get extra money only when the reforms are not just decided upon but also implemented.”

The European Commission has told Croatia to merge local government units on the Finnish model - and offer financial benefits to all counties, municipalities, towns that agree to pool their resources.

Finland, a country with 5.1 million inhabitants, underwent a similar process in 2005, cutting the number of municipalities from 444 to 320, a reduction of 28 per cent.

"Finnish companies show greater interest"

BELGRADE -- Finland's Ambassador to Serbia Pekka Orpana said on Wednesday that Finnish companies were more interested in investing in Serbia.

"This illustrates an increased trust in stability and improvement of the business climate, and the Serbian government's commitment to EU integration," Orpana said in an interview to Tanjug.

BELGRADE - Finland's Ambassador to Serbia Pekka Orpana said on Wednesday that Finnish companies were more interested in investing in Serbia.

This illustrates an increased trust in stability and improvement of the business climate, and the Serbian government's commitment to EU integration, Orpana said in an interview to Tanjug.