MOSCOW-PETROZAVODSK-TALLINN -- THE ESTONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SIIM KALLAS CONFIRMED THAT ESTONIA NO LONGER DEMANDS RUSSIA'S RECOGNITION OF THE 1920 TARTU PEACE TREATY. Kallas, speaking at a press conference in Tallinn, was referring to his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeni Primakov in Petrozavodsk, Russia, on November 5. Kallas reported that in return Russia promised not to raise its 1990 agreement in which Estonia promised automatic citizenship to all residents of the country. News agencies had reported widely on November 5 that Kallas had dropped the demand of Estonia that Russia accept the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty as a basis to signing the border agreement between the two states at his meeting with Primakov. Estonian Premier Tiit Vahi said that Kallas lacked the credentials for such an agreement during his meeting with Primakov in Petrozavodsk. The Tartu Peace Treaty is considered to be the document on which Estonia's legal succession to the first Estonian Republic, and not to Soviet Estonia, is based. Kallas said that the planned Estonian-Russian border agreement by no means will hamper Estonian state's legal continuity. There are still some unsolved details in the most recent agreement and thus the contents of the agreement cannot yet be made public, Kallas said. (ETA, 10 Nov.)
MOSCOW-VILNIUS -- NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND VILNIUS ARE NO LONGER DEADLOCKED after the work of a two-day Lithuanian-Russian border negotiation commission held in Moscow. Negotiators succeeded in bringing closer Lithuanian and Russian positions on both land and sea borders. During the course of three years of negotiations, Lithuania and Russia have disagreed on the border delineation along Lake Vistytis, the mouth of the Nemunas River, and the Lagoon of Kursiu Marios. The negotiations on sea border had most recently come to a halt due to disagreements on the D-6 oil field situated in neutral territory in the Baltic Sea. More than a year and a half ago four Russian and German companies signed an agreement on establishment of KANT consortium to exploit the D-6 oil field. Lithuanian diplomats had previously protested against such actions of Russia. (ELTA, 14 Nov.)
HELSINKI-TALLINN --- THE ESTONIAN CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT HAS ACCUSED the state-owned fuel firm Eesti Kutus of cooperation with illegal fuel importers. Rein Talvik, Director of the Customs Department, demonstrated documents proving the ties of Eesti Kutus with two private companies accused of illegal fuel trading. Representatives of the Estonian Union of Fuel Importers and Fuel Traders Association responded that the low excise revenues collected by the Customs Department have been caused by the use of imported Finnish central heating fuel in motor vehicles. The Nordic countries color the heating fuel but Estonia has not yet approved the import of colored fuel. The representatives denied having business ties with illegal firms. (Sonumileht, 12 Nov.)
RIGA-MOSCOW -- AEROFLOT HAS BEEN BANNED FROM FLYING on the Moscow-Riga air route by the Latvian government. The ban took effect on October 31. The Latvian government has accused Aeroflot of violating bilateral agreements with Latvia. The decision was a reaction to Russia's earlier refusal to grant the Latvian carrier, Baltic Airways, flights from Riga to Moscow. Russian aviation officials refused to grant Baltic Airways landing rights in Moscow because of debts owed to Russia by the bankrupt Latvian state airline Latavio. An Aeroflot representative said that Baltic Airways was virtually owned by the Scandinavian airline, SAS, and was thus treated differently than if it were owned by a former Soviet republic. The only airline continuing flights between the two cities is Russia's Transaero. (Delovoi Peterburg, 12 Nov.)
LITHUANIA-SLOVAKIA -- A VISA-FREE REGIME will be introduced between Lithuania and Slovakia for Lithuanian citizens. The Lithuanian foreign ministry received a note informing about the Slovenian decision to entitle Lithuanian citizens a visa-free travel to Slovenia. A visa-free agreement signed by both parties in May also provides for the same travel terms for Slovenian citizens to Lithuania. Lithuanian tourists and businessmen will in this way have better conditions for travelling to Italy and Greece through Slovakia. Lithuanian citizens are entitled to visa-free entry in over twenty countries, whereas Lithuania offers a visa-free entry for citizens of 32 countries. (ELTA, 4 Nov.)
TALLINN-RIGA -- ESTONIAN FISHERMEN HAVE CRITICIZED ESTONIA'S FAILURE TO RATIFY AN FISHING AGREEMENT WITH LATIVA. The fishermen report that the Estonian government's delay in ratifying a fishing agreement for quota exchange with Latvia is preventing Estonia's own fishermen from plying Latvian waters. Estonian fishers requesting permission to chase schools which have migrated into Latvian waters are being turned down because of the delay. Latvian fisheries officials agree that but for the administrative holdups the Estonian fishermen's requests would be accepted, and look forward to the day when all of the Baltic Sea countries have quota exchange agreements. (LETA, 3 Nov.)
LAPPEENRANTA-VYBORG, KOTKA-TALLINN -- THE FERRY COMPANY KARELIA LINES has challenged in court the Finnish law which now allows tax-free alcohol to be brought into Finland only after a Finnish citizen has spent 20 hours abroad. The company argues that the law violates conventions of the European Union. Karelina Lines has seen it passenger numbers drop significantly after the introduction of the new law forbidding the import of tax-free alcohol on short cruises. The ferry company organizes cruises between Lappeenranta and Vyborg and Kotka and Tallinn. (SPb Vedomosti, 10 Nov.)
ESTONIA-RUSSIA -- RUSSIAN MAGAZINES COULD BE PRINTED IN ESTONIA after PrinTall, the largest printing house in Estonia, receives a new four-color printing press from Sweden in the summer of 1997. With its new machine PrinTall intends to fill the orders of Russian magazines. All large investments in Estonian printing houses have Russia as an aim, said Sergei Chernov, director of PrinTall. Most of Russian magazines are currently printed in Poland, Italy or Finland. The main targets would be Krestianka (400,000 copies monthly), Novoe Vremiia (100,000 copies weekly), and Argumenty i Fakty (17 million copies). Estonian printers intend to win clients from Finland where the prices are higher. (Aripaev, 8 Nov.)
STOCKHOLM-VILNIUS -- SWEDEN WILL RENDER TECHNICAL AID TO LITHUANIA, totalling over 1.5 billion litas, for a three-year period to end in 1998. "This is already the third stage of our assistance to Lithuania that will mostly be devoted to Lithuanian integration into the European Union," the Secretary of Swedish Foreign Ministry Mats Karlsson said. Consultations on November 14 in Vilnius focused on the adjustment of priority aid trends encompassing border control, civil safety, defense, and democratic development. The Swedish government has named those priority areas that will receive technical aid. They include border control, civil safety, and environmental protection. Over one billion Swedish kronas are to be devoted to nuclear safety alone. (ELTA, 14 Nov.)
HELSINKI-RIGA -- THE ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS OF LATVIA AND FINLAND SIGNED AN AGREEMENT under which Finland will give USD 1.85 million for the reconstruction of the Riga water pipe system. Finland joins Sweden and Switzerland in helping to finance the USD 121.2 million project. The Finnish Minister stated that the donation is a gesture of goodwill and friendship and is also an investment in the environmental health of the Baltic Sea. The agreement was signed on November 8. (LETA, 11 Nov.)
VILNIUS -- THE LITHUANIAN PARLIAMENT HAS PASSED NEW NUCLEAR ENERGY LEGISLATION. The laws were worked out with reference to Lithuanian obligations to nuclear safety and other conventions. The newly adopted laws guarantee that in Lithuania nuclear safety is ensured by the Lithuanian state, whereas the safety of nuclear plant is the responsibility of the organization exploiting it. The laws also regulate the principles of nuclear energy administration, licensing, maintenance of nuclear entities, terms for import of nuclear substances, as well as the disposal of nuclear waste. (ELTA, 14 Nov.)
PECHENGA-NIKEL', RUSSIA -- THE NORWEGIAN GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO CANCEL A 300 MILLION DANISH KRONER GRANT which it had originally budgeted for the environmental reconstruction of the Pechenga-Nikel' plant, which lies 30 kilometers from the Norwegian border. The agreement had required that Russia also participate in the reconstruction of the plant, but no funds have yet been allocated by Russia. The Nikel' plant is reported to create as much air pollution as the total of all industrial pollution in the whole of Norway. (SPb Vedomosti, 13 Nov.)
VOLKHOV-PETROZAVODSK -- THE RECENT OPENING OF THE NEW NATURAL GAS LINE VOLKHOV-PETROZAVODSK will create a significant savings for the city of Petrozavodsk, according to city administration studies. Factories and especially the city's electrical and heating stations are now being converted to natural gas. Oil proved to be significantly more expensive than oil will be for the city. Gazprom's agreement with Petrozavodsk includes the right to a significant number of shares in the newly created firm, Karelgaz. The new gas pipeline between Volkhov and Petrozavodsk is 285 kilometers, of which 77 kilometers cross the Republic of Karelia. (Delovoi Peterburg, 15 Nov.)
BATAREINAIA BAY -- MORE THAN 300 RUSSIAN AND 150 FOREIGN FIRMS have submitted applications for participation in the tender for contractors and subcontractors of construction of the future Batareinaia oil terminal. The press service of the oil company Surgutneftegaz released these figures. A volume of 15 million tons of oil per year is planned for the oil terminal. The construction cost of the terminal is estimated at 200 million USD. (Delovoi Peterburg, 15 Nov.)
UST'-LUGA -- A GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE NEW PORT OF UST'-LUGA was held under the supervision of the firm responsible for the port's construction, Rosugol'. The port will be the only port specializing in coal transfer in European Russia. Rosugol' will be the largest investor in the port, as Surgutneftegaz has invested in the construction of the port Batareinaia, and Gazprom has invested in the construction of the port Primorsk. Construction of a new railway line to transport coal for export abroad from the existing railway at Kingiseep is also planned. The port is planned to handle 8 million tons of coal per year and its construction is to be finished in two years. (Vecher. Peterburg, 4 Nov., Smena, 5 Nov., Vesti, 5 Nov.)
ST. PETERSBURG -- THE TOXIC AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE PROCESSING PLANT RADON REMAINS CLOSED for processing newly delivered wastes. The plant is accepting those wastes which are brought to it, but they are being stored rather than processed. A lack of fuel is preventing the processing step during which solid waste is produced from liquid waste. Officials at the plant fear that the plant would have to refuse acceptance of any waste on short notice if an accident were to occur in the near future in St. Petersburg. (Vesti, 2 Nov.)
BRONKI, GULF OF FINLAND -- PERMISSION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF AN OIL TERMINAL BRONKI has been granted to the firm Neste-St. Petersburg. The terminal will cover 9.5 hectares and it is estimated that 500,000 tons will be transported through the terminal each year. The first stage of work will be completed by the end of 1998, and the entire project will be finished by 2000. A second terminal is already under construction in the nearby city of Lomonosov. (Nevskoe Vremiia, 1 Nov.)
IGNALINA NUCLEAR PLANT, LITHUANIA -- THE THIRD GENERATOR OF SECOND REACTOR at the Ignalina Nuclear Plant was switched off on the afternoon of November 4. A safety system automatically stopped the second reactor, leaving Ignalina plant to run at half of its capacity. Experts are analyzing the reasons for the stoppage at present. The second reactor started to work after the planned four-months repair only a week ago and was to regain its full capacity on Tuesday. Both reactors at Ignalina nuclear plant are prepared to work according to an autumn-winter schedule. (ELTA, 4 Nov.)
ST. PETERSBURG -- EXPERIMENTAL WASTE WATER PROCESSING EQUIPMENT is being tested at the Krasnosel'skaia Aeration Station in St. Petersburg. The equipment uses micro organisms to help clean phosphorus and nitrogen from the water. The equipment is able to process 2,500 cubic meters of water per day, which is only a small percentage of the actual daily volume of the station. Analyses of the results of the equipment have already taken place during the past six months, and preliminary results show that the equipment is effective. St. Petersburg sewage water has an unusually high amount of industrial waste in it, as most industries in the city release their waste directly into the city's residential sewage system. (Smena, 15 Nov.)
PSKOV, RUSSIA -- THE OBLAST COMMITTEE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION MET WITH SWEDISH SPECIALISTS on November 6. The focus of their discussion on was timber resources in Pskov Oblast. Ralf Alkvist and Lennart Bratt, specialists in legislation concerning natural resource management, represented the Swedish delegation. Two other Swedish organizations are also holding regular meetings for cooperative projects in Pskov. The Swedish International Development Agency is working with the Pskov Oblast Committee for Environmental Protection. The Swedish-based Foundation for Knowledge and Competence Development is working on an educational program in the cities of Pskov and St. Petersburg. (TEIA)
ST. PETERSBURG -- THE PROGRAM "BRITISH WATER", organized by the British Consulate and St. Petersburg Vodokanal, completed its study of the problems of water transport and sewage handling in the city. The program manager, Paul Horton, reported that the work of the eight representatives from British firms who participated in the program had gone well. A loan from the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development will make possible some of the projects proposed by the experts from the "British Water" program. (Vecher. Peterburg, 1 Nov.)
LAKHTA, RUSSIA -- A TRAINING CONFERENCE FOR STUDENT ENVIRONMENTAL "DRUZHINY" was held over the course of four days in Lakhta. The student druzhiny were taught how to approach poachers and other violators of protected territory in Russia. The druzhiny representatives also exchanged their experiences from the many parks all over Russia. The student druzhiny are among the few who are allowed onto many territories. About 40 druzhiny were represented. The conference was financed by ISAR, the former Institute for Soviet-American Relations. (Smena, 11 Nov., Vecher. Peterburg, 10 Nov.)
LODEINOE POLE, RUSSIA -- THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB "SVIR'" HAS BEEN FOUNDED with the goal of environmental education for youth and the development of environmental tourism. The establishment of tourist routes which will cover the Posvir'ie region are to part of the club's activities. The environmental club will have representatives in Belomorsk and in St. Petersburg. The club in future plans to organize tours in the Kostomuksha and Kivach reserves. (Vesti, 14 Nov.)
MOSCOW -- THE ESTONIAN ECONOMY MINISTRY OPENED THE ESTONIAN TRADE REPRESENTATION IN MOSCOW on November 5. The head of the foreign trade department of the Economics Ministry, Tiit Reiman, said that the activities of the trade representation should aid the development of contacts between Estonian and Russian businessmen and to deepen the existing business relations. Estonia's trade representative in Russian Federation is Anne Hansberg. The representation is located at Sobinovski 5, 103009 Moscow. The telephone number is +7 (095) 202-4473. (ETA, 5 Nov.)
RIGA -- A SEMINAR AIMED AT WORKING OUT COMMON ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS FOR THE THREE BALTIC STATES began in Riga on Nov. 5. A Latvian environmental expert said that standardization was necessary to eliminate differences in national standards which have arisen since the independence of each state five years ago. In addition, the new standards are to meet European Union norms. (LETA, 6 Nov.)
ST. PETERSBURG -- THE CONFERENCE "CLEAN AIR FOR THOSE SICK AND HEALTHY" was held at the Military Medical Academy on November 12. Conference participants discussed problems of air pollution and its effect on city residents. The organizers of the conference were the Committee for Public Health of the St. Petersburg city administration and several city medical institutes. Projects for reducing the city's air pollution were also presented at the conference. (Chas Pik, 12 Nov.)
VILNIUS -- THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR COOPERATION MOVEMENT SUPPORT (VOCA) has helped Lithuanian farmers and agricultural communities to implement more than 120 projects in poultry, milk, meat processing and other fields of local agriculture and agriculture processing industries during the past five years. VOCA activities included the invitation of American farmers, banking, and agricultural processing experts to Lithuania to provide qualified help for local farmers and producers, according to Onute Banraviciene, VOCA manager in Lithuania. Problems concerning land privatization, agricultural processing, farmers' consultation boards development and private farms management have proven more difficult to solve. (ELTA, 11 Nov.)
ST. PETERSBURG -- THE ORGANIZATION ZELENYI KREST HAS ANNOUNCED A FUNDRAISING DRIVE FOR PARK RESTORATION on Elaginii Island. Zelenyi Krest would like to collect 5000 rubles (90 US cents) from each city resident of that part of the city, and in this way raise about one million USD. Zelenyi Krest plans to raise money in a similar way for the restoration of the city's Botanical Garden and Public Library. (Delovoi Peterburg, 5 Nov.)
PSKOV, RUSSIA -- THE SERIES OF MEETINGS OF THE REGIONAL SEMINAR "CIVIL FORUM" have been held in the center "Revival" with the leadership of specialists from the Russian Center for Civil Education. Participants discussed problems related to the participation of members of society in the management of the city. The results of a poll city residents' interest in civil activity and the preparation of a brochure to be distributed within the city were also discussed. (Novosti Pskova, 2 Nov.)
VILNIUS -- THE CENTER OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION STUDIES DISCUSSED EUROPEAN INTEGRATION on November 15 in Vilnius. During the meeting, experts from Lithuanian Foreign ministry and about 60 participants discussed the present problems concerning Lithuanian and European Union relations and analyzed the legal and economic problems of integration of Baltic states into European Union. Well-known Lithuanian politicians, businessmen, scientists and journalists meet regularly at the Center to discuss the most urgent problems of Lithuania's integration into the European Union. The Center of European Integration Studies in Lithuania was established one year ago. (ELTA, 15 Nov.)
APATITY, RUSSIA -- VISITORS ARE INVITED TO THE EXHIBITION "STONE FLOWERS" city to be held in Apatity on January 16-21. All interested parties are invited to attend the exhibition. It will be held in the town palace of culture. For the fourth year in a row geologists, mineral collectors and craftsmen from all over northwestern Russia meet to see the exhibition. Last year the exhibit attracted 40 firms and 12000 visitors. Contact telephone number of the organizing committee in Apatity: +7 (81555) 31 003. (TEIA)
ST. PETERSBURG -- THE CENTER FOR EUROPEAN DOCUMENTATION opened with a presentation of a new Masters' program for European studies for students in St. Petersburg. The Center is located at Smolnyi. The Department of International Relations of St. Petersburg University and program representatives from TACIS attended the opening ceremony. (SPb Vedomosti, 1 Nov.)
TALLINN -- THE RIIGIKOGU'S DECISION TO ADOPT LEGISLATION TO INCREASE FUEL EXCISE TAXES by fifty percent in Estonia on January 1 will result in the growth of the price of a liter of automobile gasoline, plane fuel, and liquid and pressurized gas by an average of 70 sents. The excise tax on diesel fuel will remain unchanged. The Finance Ministry has said that the excise taxes must be raised in order to raise motor fuel excise levels to the minimum levels applied in the European Union (EU). The minimum excise in the EU is 4,370 kroons per 1,000 liters of fuel. In Estonia it is at present 1,200 kroons per 1,000 liters of fuel. Opponents of the new legislation argue that an abrupt increase in fuel prices will result in a mass influx of illegal fuel to the Estonian market. (ETA, 6 Nov.)
LITHUANIA -- THE LITHUANIAN GRAIN HARVEST WAS THE BEST IN FIVE YEARS, according to the Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture. The harvest rose in comparison with last year by 500,000 tons and reached a total of 2.5 million tons. Average grain productivity in 1996 amounted to 23 centners per hectare growing by five centners as compared to the last year. Unfavorable autumn weather conditions has nevertheless delayed the harvest season of winter crops, forcing Lithuanian farmers to reduce land area under the winter grain by 14 percent to 175,000 hectares. (ELTA, 10 Nov.)
ESTONIA -- ESTONIA IS EXCAVATING SIGNIFICANTLY LESS MINERAL RESOURCES. The excavation of oil shale, turf, clay, limestone, construction sand, and dolomite shrank in 1995 as compared to the previous year, according to the Estonian Statistical Office. The excavation of oil shale slumped by 1.9 million tons in one year - to 12.1 million tons from previous 14 million tons in the two oil shale mines of Estonia. About a third less turf was excavated. Ceramic clay output of Estonia fell three times in 1995. The excavation of sand was more than halved as was that of dolomite. The excavation of phosphates was stopped in 1991. Estonia had a total of 344 mines of various natural resources at the beginning of 1996. (ETA, 3 Nov.)