Helsinki - Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen Tuesday on called Finnish nationals to pull together to tackle the economic challenges facing the country.

"The threats against our economy are external, and we have limited means of influencing how the international economic crisis affects us," Vanhanen said in a New Year's message carried by Finnish news agency STT.

International cooperation, especially within the European Union, was "important and the EU is our best channel to influence the rest of the world," Vanhanen added.

Financial packages in different countries could also aid the Finnish export industry, he noted. "But we Finns can also affect the situation by making rational and necessary purchases and use services," Vanhanen said.

"Two thirds of our workplaces are generated by domestic demand - let us secure them. This is an exceptional call from the prime minister," Vanhanen said, adding that "so far" it was possible to avert the negative effects of a recession.

Helsinki was preparing a new financial package to be launched next year, and there was also need to invest in research and development, he said. (dpa)