Finland Times

Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen on Friday said among the Baltic Nations Finland and Russia were the most successful in fulfilling the commitments made in the Baltic Sea Summit in Helsinki three years back to improve the environmental condition of the Baltic Sea.

 

The Finland premier was speaking at the two-day conference of the heads of government of Baltic Sea states (Baltic Sea Forum) on environmental protection that began on Friday in Saint Petersburg of Russia.

 

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev spoke of the Baltic Sea Summit plenary session in St. Petersburg 5 April 2013, on the platform in the Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip (left), Prime Minister of Lithuania Algirdas BUTKEVIČIUS and Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen. Photo Lehtikuva

Finland and the states of the archipelago can further improve the region’s environmental conditions, Katainen said, adding that the recycling process should be included in the

condition list.

 

He said the government and the public administration could do it partly through implementing municipal sewerage treatment projects while the third-party, the businesses,

should fulfil the commitment through maintaining improved emission and developing  technology to protect the Baltic Sea and earn economic viability.

 

He appreciated the Russian leadership for undertaking initiatives giving proper importance  on environmental issues.

 

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said his country was going to complete the Baltic  Sea spa town with sewerage and treatment plants this year.

 

The Finland premier also held bilateral talks with his Russian counterpart, where  Medvedev expressed Russian interest in Finnish eco-technology which would be useful for

the Leningrad region.

 

Former Finland President Tarja Halonen gave the welcoming Baltic Sea Summit plenary session in St. Petersburg 5 April 2013. Photo Lehtikuva

Former Finnish president Tarja Halonen, who also attended the summit, discussed with  the Russian prime minister possible steps for improving the environment. In the hour-long  meeting before the inauguration of the summit, they discussed Russia’s commitment and  future plans regarding the Baltic Sea.

 

Meanwhile, the Voice of Russia reported that Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev  emphasised the necessity to cooperate with the international environmental organisation  Greenpeace but did not support ecological actions that overstepped the law.

 

Medvedev condemned such actions of ecologists like seizing oil derricks which he  compared with hostage-taking.

 

At the same time, the Russian prime minister said public initiatives were things that  must be done, the report said, adding that, in conclusion, Medvedev said any dialogue,

especially one between the government and ecologists, must be aimed at searching for a  compromise.

 

Finland Environment Minister Ville Niinistö also attended the conference which focused on  protection of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea.

 

The conference follows up on the Baltic Sea Action Summit organised in Finland in 2010.  Representatives of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,

Germany, Poland, Finland, and Russia are taking part in the Baltic Sea Summit-2013  hosted by Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitri Medvedev.

 

Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen (L) and Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attend the Baltic Sea Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia on April 5, 2013. Photo Lehtikuva

The summit makes part of the programme of the Russian Presidency of the Council of the  Baltic Sea States (CBSS). 

 

Niinistö is also scheduled to attend the Forum on Public-Private Partnership in the Baltic  Sea Region today. Environment ministers, representatives of businesses and non-

governmental organisations, and researchers from Baltic States will take part in the forum.

 

The Baltic Sea Action Summit (BSAS) process launched by Finland aims primarily at  speeding up the implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and the EU

Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. It also focuses on deepening the cooperation between  public and private actors to improve the state of the Baltic Sea environment.

 

Thanks to the BSAS process, more than 200 Baltic Sea commitments have been made by  11 sovereign states so far.

 

The Conference of the Heads of Government of the Baltic Sea States will adopt a joint  statement highlighting the importance of Baltic Sea environmental efforts made by all

actors and supporting the continuation of the Baltic Sea Action Summit process.

 

Finland will assume the one-year CBSS Presidency after Russia this July.