Jul 11, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. Finland's foreign ministry said that it was in principle possible to pay subsidies to the country's pulp and paper industry in response to Russia's wood export duty increases provided the European commission cleared such a move, Helsinki Times reported. Paavo Väyrynen, the Finnish foreign trade minister, had said last month that he had decided to look into whether the government could pay a subsidy on wood duties exceeding the level set out in an agreement between the EU and Russia in 2004. He also proposed that the subsidy could be financed by levying "vehicle-specific transit fees" from Russia-bound lorries. The latter idea was promptly rejected by the finance and transport ministries. Mr Väyrynen said that he had discussed the wood duty issue with Peter Mandelson and described the EU trade commissioner's attitude as "constructive".