The Visit to Finland of the Delegation of the Republic of Karelia
Led by the Head of the Government
of the Republic of Karelia S.L. Katanandov
4-7 August
1998
The Head of the Govrenment of the Republic of Karelia made his first foreign working visit on the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland. During his stay in Helsinki the negotiations were conducted with the Prime-Minister P. Lillonen, theMinster of the European Affairs and Foreign Trade U. Norbukk, the Minister of the Environment P. Haavisto, the Minister of Agriculture and Forest Industry
K. Hemilya.Also the meeting with the President of Finnish Republic M. Ahtisaary took place. In the meetings participated the Ambassador of Russia in Finland I.P.Aboimov and the General Consul of Finland in St. Petersburg O. Lillonen.
In the course of negotiations the wide range of the problems of Karelian-Finnish collaboration was discussed, most of all in the field of economic trade. S.L.Katanandov told the partners in details about the program of the new elected Government on the issues of the overcoming of the economic and financial crises. In particular he informed the partners about the intention to decrease gradually the export of round forest materials to Finland and to send them to non-working forest-processing enterprises and pulp-paper mills of Karelia. In connection with this the Head of the Government put forward his proposals on the development of industrial cooperation between the Finnish companies and the Karelian enterprises.They dicussed the situation on the Segezha Pulp and Paper Mill and the perspectives of the future activities of the mill after the Swedish investor had quit its activities there.
They exchanged oppinions about the complex utilizing of the overaged forests in the boundary regions of Karelia. They reached the solution that the joint approach to these problems should be based on the principles of stable development.The Finnish side supports the approach of the Karelian Government which is as follows: bearing respect to the public organizations for preserving nature we can`t help cutting forest, defending interests of the boundary population. The alternative solutions are:
increasing of the preserved nature territories, the development of tourist industry and creating on this base the new jobs. S.L. Katanandov stated that Karelia is ready to work out these alternative ways on terms of realistic international support. The project of Karelian-Finnish collaboration work in the frameworks of Agreement on the Program "Green FinnoScandinavia"was given to the Minister of Environment;P.Haavisto informed that the country budget for the coming year does not plan the decrease of assignations for the Karelian-Finnish nature-preserving and research projects.
Both sides marked the succesful realization of the jont projects in the area of agriculture and discussed the ways of the future cooperation work.The Ministry of Agriculture and Forest Industry of Finland will consider the possibilities of transfering to Karelia on favourable terms trawlers the number of which should be decreased on the Baltic sea in the future under the terms of European Union (Finland is the member of this Union).
During negotiations the discussion of the projects of the development of the transportation and boundary infrastructure were of great importance. The fastest putting into work of the new international places of admissoin Suolerya- Kortesalmi (Louchy regoin) and Syuvyaoro-Kompikanta (Lahdenpohya region) were recognized as priorities.The Finnish partners were informed that in the nearest future the construction of the rail road Ledmozero-Kochkoma will be completed with the support of Moscow government; then there will be needed the joint efforts for putting this rail road way into practice. The Prime-Minister and the Minister of European affairs were informed about the concept of creating a compact free economic zone in the Kostomuksha region. To reach the goals of this concept a special Russian-Finnish agreement is supposed to be made. Also some other problems were discussed: railroad transportation between Petrozavodsk and Yoensuu, reopening of the airlines Petrozavodsk -Yoensuu and Petrozavodsk - Helsinki. Minister U. Norrbuck got aware with the notes on the initiative of creating Karelian-Finnish Euroregion as a new form of boundary collaboration work. It will meet the modern facilities of the border-line of Russia and European Union.
The Karelian delegation visited the companies "Rautaruuki", "Rauma-Timberjack", "Enso" and the project- consultation bureau " Yaakko Pyouryu".
New joint projects were dicussed with the heads of these companies in the fields of forest and mining industries and in the area of environment protection.
The president of Finland Republic M. Ahtisaary,who welcome S.L. Katanandov in the President`s summer residention of Kultaranta in the vicinities of the town of Turku, highlighted that in his opinion a new stage in Karelian-Finnish cooperation is taking place.
Information of Press-service of the Head of the Government RK
webmaster@gov.karelia.ru
Created: November 1998
Last updated: November 1998
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