Finland pushes project for EU-Russia ties.

Finland, which holds the rotating European Union presidency, said it hoped its plan of strengthening economic ties between the EU_s northern members and Russia will draw Moscow closer to the West. The initiative, called Northern Dimension, became an official EU plan at the 15-nation bloc_s summit in Cologne last month. Its originator Finland was given the green light to develop the concept, which is as yet only vaguely defined, during its six-month presidency. Helsinki began talking about forging a special economic relationship between the EU and Russia_s western regions soon after joining the European bloc in 1995. It argued that the EU needed a coordinated approach to its northern reaches. Finland_s 800 mile border with Russia became the EU_s sole frontier with the West_s former Cold War adversary, and Helsinki had jumped at the opportunity of becoming the EU_s ``gateway' to Moscow.