TEN Index

Apr. 1-15, 1996, Vol. 2, No. 7

Transboundary News

MOSCOW-TALLINN -- ESTONIA HAS AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO SIGN A SEPARATE THREE-WAY BORDER AGREEMENT ON WATERWAYS with Finland and Russia in the absence of an agreement with Russia on land borders. The seventh round of land border negotiations will take place in Pskov on May 22-23, as a consequence of the recent failure on March 27-28 to come to an agreement. Estonia demands several land plots in the Pechora Region, Russia demands an exit from the Narova River into Lake Chudskoe/Peipsi, and perhaps most problematic, Russia refuses to recognize the Tartu Peace Agreement of 1920. (SPb Vedomosti, 2 Apr.)

RIGA-MOSCOW -- LATVIAN MINISTERS' FREQUENT REQUESTS FOR VISAS TO RUSSIA have raised concern among Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials. The ministers have been criticized for conducting negotiations with Moscow trade representatives by the use of formerly established Soviet channels. According to the Foreign Affairs officials, such channels of negotiation are not compatible with Latvia's present goals of full economic integration with Western Europe. The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will now require all ministers whose visits abroad exceed five days to file written reports about their visits. (SPb Vedomosti, 10 Apr.)

HELSINKI-MOSCOW -- FINNISH CUSTOMS OFFICIALS HAVE SHARPLY CRITICIZED Russia's failure to finance adequately the completion of construction of new customs houses on the Finnish-Russian border. As a result, large trailer trucks spend large amounts of time in long lines on each side of the border, according to the officials. Russian customs houses are now equipped to process only 400 trailer trucks a day, whereas 500-600 trailers attempt to cross the border each day. The customs houses generate large revenues for the Russian state. (SPb Vedomosti, 2 Apr.)

RIGA-TALLINN-VILNIUS -- THE LATVIAN PRIME MINISTER HAS ANNOUNCED HIS SUPPORT FOR THE CREATION OF A COMMON ECONOMIC ZONE for the three Baltic States. He reported that he has already spoken with the Estonian Prime Minister and will soon be approaching the Lithuanian Prime Minister with the proposal. It comes soon after Russia's signing with Belarus for the creation of a common economic zone between the two states. (SPb Vedomosti, 2 Apr.)

VILNIUS-MOSCOW -- LITHUANIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE TEMPORARILY AVERTED AN EMBARGO of natural gas from its Russian supplier, Gazprom, by agreeing to pay some of the state's debts. Lithuania should receive begin to normal supplies within two weeks. Lithuania will remain 32 million US dollars in debt to Gazprom, a sum which must be paid by autumn according to present agreements. (Baltic Times, 11-17 Apr.)

RUSSIA-FINLAND -- A COMMON SYSTEM FOR RESCUE ON THE BALTIC SEA has been developed by Finnish and Russian experts. Life jackets on ships working in the area will now be required to contain small radio-signal reflectors which will permit helicopters flying in the area to identify immediately the location of those wearing the life jackets. The system is being designed to be as inexpensive and reliable as possible. (SPb Vedomosti, 2 Apr.)

Environmental News

LENINGRAD OBLAST -- AN ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN RUSSIA AND GERMANY HAS BEEN SIGNED in order to develop an integrated radiation measuring system within Leningrad Oblast and Russia as a whole. The project, IRIS-Russia, is being developed within the realm of a single automated system of state control. All nuclear plants in Russia are to part of the system. Collaboration on this project between the Russian Ministry of the Environment and German officials began three years ago. (SPb Vedomosti, 3 Apr.)

DAUGAVPILS, LATVIA -- THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE DAUGAVPILS HYRDOELECTRIC STATION PROJECT will recommence, according to a recent decision by the City Council of Daugavpils. After an active campaign of ecologists and community activists in Latvia and Belarus, construction of the station was halted in 1987. If the dam necessary for the station project will be completed, the dam will flood natural landscapes in the Augsdaugava Region of Latvia and also at least 200 square kilometers of territory belonging to Belarus. (Baltic Times, 11-17 Apr.)

VILNIUS -- LATVIA AND RIGA HAVE SIGNED AN ARMISTICE over the present "fish war" in the Gulf of Riga. That area in question in the Gulf of Riga lies near the island Ruhnu and is rich in fish, yet is disputed territory today between the two Baltic states. Both Estonian and Latvian fishermen will now be permitted to fish in the waters near the island Ruhnu until August 1. According to the agreement signed by Estonian and Latvian prime ministers, Estonian-Latvian border negotiations should be completed and the borderline clearly defined by that date. (BNS, 15 Apr.)

PODPOROZH'E, LENINGRAD OBLAST -- THE VINNITSKII LUMBER FIRM HAS APPLIED FOR THE RIGHT TO CUT part of the future national park Vepsskii Forest which has been planned since 1986. The lumber firm argues that all of the access roads for such cutting are already in place. The administration of Leningrad Oblast will make the decision concerning the lumber firm's request for a permit. (Vesti, 9 Apr.)

Conferences, Events, and Meetings

TARTU, ESTONIA -- AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE devoted to a discussion of questions on the joint use and environmental protection of transboundary waterways of Russia and the Baltic states opened on April 15 in Tartu. Conference participants were to focus on the governance and implementation of those international conventions and framework agreements which regulate transborder regions. One hundred representatives from non-government organizations, the environmental agencies of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, Sweden, Finland, Germany, and the United States, as well as the Economic Commission for Europe and the World Bank, took part in the conference. (BNS, 15 Apr.)

ST. PETERSBURG -- THE TRADE FAIR "ECOLOGY OF A LARGE CITY - 96" brought together 50 firms, including German, Swiss, and Russian, from April 9-13 to demonstrate their products to city businesses and residents. It was the third annual fair of this kind in the city. The firm Rubin demonstrated oil spill cleaning equipment and other firms demonstrated a wide selection of water filters. Two charity funds in the city, Sankt-Peterburg and Vostochnyi Predprinimatel'skii Ekspress, distributed water filter systems to poor families in the city. (Nevskoe Vremiia, 10 Apr., and Vecher. Peterburg, 9 Apr.)

ST. PETERSBURG -- THE THEATRICAL FESTIVAL "BALTIC DOM-96" will take place from April 19-28 for the sixth time and demonstrate the most recent theatrical achievements of the region. Recently designed work from theaters of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Poland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia will be performed. Prizes will be awarded at the House of Actors at the end of the festival. (SPb Vedomosti, 3 Apr.)

HELSINKI -- THE CHAIR OF THE HEAD OF THE NON-PROFIT SOCIAL ORGANIZATION "FINLAND-RUSSIA" will be filled by foreign market chief of the Finnish electronics firm Nokia, which has developed close ties with Russia and especially St. Petersburg in recent years. Stefan Vidomski replaces Heikki Talvati, the assistant secretary of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (SPb Vedomosti, 4 Apr.)

TEPPANALA, FINLAND-SVETOGORSK, RUSSIA -- A TEACHER EXCHANGE BETWEEN THESE TWO TOWNS on the Finnish-Russian border provides regular Finnish and Russian language lessons for local school children. This exchange began 18 months ago. One-third of the Finnish students have selected to study Russian of their own choice. The towns each provide compensation for the teachers' transportation and visa fees. (SPb Vedomosti, 4 Apr.)

RIGA -- REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RAILWAY COMPANIES of the Baltic states, Poland, Germany and Sweden have met to discuss the plan "Balt Rail 2000" for the construction of a joint network of railroads with an overall length of 1800 kilometers in the region. A financial analysis will next be conducted for the project. The representatives' next meeting will take place in Tallinn. (Aripaev, 2 Apr.)

New Facts and Statistics

VALIMAA, FINLAND -- A NEW TRAFFIC RECORD WAS SET FOR THE FIRST QUARTER of this year into and from Russia. Approximately 157,000 people crossed the border, which is 44 percent more than for the same period last year. About 128,500 vehicles crossed the border, a 34 percent increase, including 80,000 cars, 50 trucks, and 3000 buses. (SPb Vedomosti, 12 Apr.)

HELSINKI -- STORES WITHIN TWO KILOMETERS OF THE HELSINKI BUS AND TRAIN STATION will be allowed to remain open on Sundays from June 1 to August 31 of this year due to the large number of expected foreign visitors during this period. The largest number of foreign visitors arriving by bus and train is from St. Petersburg. (SPb Vedomosti, 4 Apr.)

TALLINN, ESTONIA - ACCORDING TO THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY in Tallinn, 89,174 citizens of Russia were living in Estonia as of April 1996. The director of the Department of Citizenship and Migration of Estonia, Mr. Andres Kollist, called such a high number of Russian citizens in Estonia alarming in light of the age demographics of Estonia's own citizens. (BNS, 15 Apr.)

TEN Index