Berlusconi and his counterpart Paavo Lipponen ultimately decided to split the plate, as it were, opting in March to put a branch of the agency in both places.

FORBES: Food Feuds

Just last week, while Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb was shuttling between Moscow and Tbilisi in his capacity as chairman of the OSCE, Nord Stream announced the hiring of former Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: A Bear energy market

The EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said the EU would continue to work for a political end to the crisis, while the Finnish Prime Minister, Paavo Lipponen, spoke of possible financial and political pressure on Russia.

BBC: News Online