Finland will extend the closure of its border with Russia by four more weeks until February 11, the Interior Ministry said on January 11, confirming earlier reports that all crossings would remain shut. On January 10, the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah told national broadcaster YLE that the border, which had otherwise been set to reopen on January 15, would remain closed. Finland closed its border with Russia late last year in response to a growing inflow of asylum seekers, which it said was an orchestrated move by Moscow, a claim which the Kremlin denies.
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