congeries

"The Finnish government said it regretted sponsoring a book giving detailed examples of how to bribe Russian officials and businessmen, published by the Finnish-Russian Chamber of Commerce.

"We would say that the book really encourages bribing, and we are absolutely of the opinion that one must not allow instructions on bribing to be published in an instruction manual we are supporting financially," says Bo Goeran Eriksson, head of the trade department of the Trade and Industry Ministry. His department contributes 430,000 euros (557,000 dollars) annually to the Finnish-Russian Chamber of Commerce, set up to foster trade relations between the two neighboring countries.

When contacted, the trade body denied any wrongdoing. "These are examples, not instructions. I don't feel that we should feel remorse because companies have given examples of their experiences in Russia," said Mirja Azeem, chief executive of the chamber. "The book is just a description about how real life is in Russia," she concluded.

The book is doubly embarrassing as Finland is considered the least corrupt nation in the world, and both bribing and incitement to bribery are strictly illegal.