Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Ilkka Kanerva (Nat. Coalition Party) feels that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev, the man favoured by President Vladimir Putin as his successor, is a candidate who would not bring about serious changes to the status quo.
Medvedev, a originally from St. Petersburg, is seen by Kanerva to belong to the same school of thought as Vladimir Putin.
Medvedev led Putin's first election campaign.
"He [Medvedev] is a businesslike moderate who is non-confrontational toward the West", Kanerva said.
Kanerva made his comments during a European Union foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels.
He also said that he expected markets to react positively to Medvedev's candidacy.
Kanerva only had a short time to discuss Putin's announcement with is EU colleagues.
"The British and Germans knew him to some degree."
Finland does not have a "deep analysis" of Medvedev yet, Kanerva said.
