Finland to take Nord Stream decision by year-end:PM

ST PETERSBURG, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Finland's Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said on Sunday his country will take a decision on the Nord Stream gas pipeline routing by the end of the year, after talks with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Denmark became the first country to clear the construction of the pipeline through its waters on Oct. 20 but Finland, Sweden and Germany must still give their permission.

"I informed my colleague that on Monday we will conduct the last consultations and then on Nov. 5 we will prepare proposals for taking a positive decision with regards to the construction of Nord Stream," said Vanhanen.

Separate decisions by Finland's environmental authorities would be taken by the end of the year, he said.

"But on this, politics has no influence," he said.

Vanhanen met Putin at a forestry forum where Russia announced it would extend a moratorium on timber export duties for another year. Finland has previously lobbied for Russia not to impose the duties.

The Nord Stream natural gas group, which comprises Russia's Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile, Research), Germany's BASF (BASF.F: Quote, Profile, Research) and E.ON EONG.DE, wants to build a pipeline from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. It has said construction would begin in 2010. [ID:nN08527395] (Reporting by Darya Korsunskaya; writing by Conor Sweeney; Editing by Mike Nesbit)