Finland's top party leaders joined forces in expressing outrage over a Russian official's recent proposal on cross-border child custody disputes during a debate in Pori on Wednesday.

Pavel Astahov, Russia's children's affairs ombudsman, had said that issues faced by Finland's Russian minority could not be addressed on the basis of Finnish legislation alone.

Mari Kiviniemi, the Centre party leader and prime minister, dismissed the notion as "absurd", with Jyrki Katainen, the Conservative party leader and finance minister, pitching in by saying that Astahov was being silly.

"We do not need a separate social agreement of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with Russia," Katainen said, referring to the 1948 Finno-Soviet treaty.

Jutta Urpilainen, the leader of the opposition Social Democrats, said the government should have been more outspoken in rejecting special arrangements with Russia.

"A good partner and neighbour must be capable of talking about issues in plain language," Urpilainen added.

Kiviniemi said Finland's children's ombudsman had responded to Astahov's comment, adding the Russian official's suggestion was so oddball that it could not have been commented on at ministerial level.

STT
LEHTIKUVA - SARI GUSTAFSSON