|Exhibit 12.1
|------------



|CERTIFICATION
|-------------



|I, Jorma Eloranta, certify that:
|--------------------------------



|1. | I
have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Metso Corporation;
|-- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------



|2. | Based
on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of  a material fact or
omit to state a material fact necessary to make the  statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which such statements  were made, not misleading with respect to the
period covered by this  report;
|-- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



|3. | Based
on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial  information included in
this report, fairly present in all material  respects the financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows of  the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this
report;
|-- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



|4. | The
companys other certifying officer and I are responsible for  establishing and
maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined  in Exchange Act Rules
13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have:
|-- | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | (a) | Designed
such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such  disclosure controls and
procedures to be designed under our  supervision, to ensure that material information
relating to the  company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us
by others within those entities, particularly during the period in  which this report is
being prepared;
| | --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | (b) | Evaluated
the effectiveness of the companys disclosure controls and  procedures and presented
in this report our conclusions about the  effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
procedures, as of the end  of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation;
and
| | --- | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | (c) | Disclosed
in this report any change in the companys internal control  over financial
reporting that occurred during the period covered by the  annual report that has
materially affected, or is reasonably likely to  materially affect, the companys
internal control over financial  reporting; and
| | --- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



|5. | The
companys other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our  most recent
evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the  companys auditors
and the audit committee of the companys board of  directors (or persons performing
the equivalent functions):
|-- | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | (a) | All
significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or  operation of internal
control over financial reporting which are  reasonably likely to adversely affect the
companys ability to record,  process, summarize and report financial information;
and
| | --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



| | (b) | Any
fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other  employees who have a
significant role in the companys internal control  over financial reporting.
| | --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



|Date: March 25, 2004
|--------------------



| |  | /s/ JORMA
      ELORANTA
      Jorma Eloranta
      President and Chief Executive Officer
| |  | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------