Based on the logic of the centrally planned Soviet system, companies did not deal directly with each other. Instead, the respective governments agreed on what was bought and sold, and at what price. More importantly, from the point of view of the Anniversary Conference today, payments flowed through the central banks of the two countries.
Hence, the Bank of Finland had a whole department handling payments to and from the Soviet Union, and also various economic risks arising from such payments. Experts from this department also participated in successive rounds of trade negotiations.