TEN Index

Jan. 1-15, 1996, Vol. 2, No. 1 (7) 

Transboundary News

PSKOV -- THE FIRST ESTONIAN-RUSSIAN ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENT wassigned between Estonia and the Russian Federation. The agreement lays the framework for future cooperation in the field of theenvironment. Such cooperation came to a halt between the twocountries after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Thebilateral environmental agreement was signed by Minister of theEnvironment Villu Reiljan of Estonia and First Deputy Minister ofthe Environment Alexei Poryadin of Russia. The meeting alsoincluded final negotiations for and the signing of a multilateralmemorandum between Estonia, Finland, and Russia in planningactivities for the Year of the Gulf of Finland in 1996. (LakePeipsi Project, 11 Jan.)

ESTONIA-RUSSIA -- THE CREATION OF TWO OFFICIAL ESTONIANDELEGATIONS to discuss both sea and land borders with Russia hasbeen approved by the government of Estonia. Only expert groupsfrom Estonia had negotiated with the Russian side until now. RaulMial, Vice-Chancellor of the Estonian Ministry of ForeignAffairs, will head both delegations. The next round ofEstonian-Russian border negotiations will take place January 25.(Estoniia, 6 Jan.)

TALLINN-STOCKHOLM -- THE SUNKEN FERRY "ESTONIA" will be coveredwith a concrete sarcophagus, according to a Swedish nauticalfirm. An intergovernmental agreement will soon be signed to thiseffect. Work will begin in February and be completed by the endof spring. The Swedish government first suggested this step inthe spring of 1995, citing the need to protect the sanctity ofthe ferry and its drowned passengers from private salvageattempts. (SPb Vedomosti, 11 Jan.)

VILNIUS -- RUSSIA'S GAZPROM MAY REDUCE OR STOP NATURAL GASdelivery to Lithuania in the near future, according to KiastutisShumakheris, General Director of the Lithuanian gas firm LietuvosDujos, because of payment failure. The collapse of the LithuanianLitimpeks bank has directly affected Lietuvos Dujos' capacity topay Gazprom for deliveries made since November. The Lithuaniangas firm is required by contract to pay Gazprom every 10 days fornatural gas delivery. (Chas Pik, 11 Jan.)

MOSCOW-HELSINKI -- THE FINNISH BANK OSUUSPANKKI WILL NOW EXCHANGERUBLES for hard currency on Finnish territory. This step has metfull approval from the Russian Central Bank. The Finnish bank isthe first to offer such services in Finland. Physical entitiescan today take up to 500 minimal salaries out of Russia in theform of ruble banknotes, according to Russian customsregulations. The Russian Central Bank has welcomed the Finnishbank's new service as a step toward strengthening the ruble'svalue in the world hard currency market. (SPb Vedomosti, 5 Jan.)

NARVA-IVANGOROD -- AN ORGANIZED PROTEST ACTION AGAINST BORDERCROSSING POLICIES took place on the evening of December 30 onboth sides of the border of Narva and Ivangorod. Small fireswere lit on both sides of the Narova River to protestcurrent rules for crossing the border. Participants protestedagainst the visa payment needed to visit relatives or their ownproperty and dachas on the other side of the border. They arguethat special border crossing rules for local residents living oninternational borders are common throughout the world.

MOSCOW-RIGA -- RUSSIAN MILITARY RETIREES and members of theirimmediate families will be allowed to remain on Latvian territoryuntil May 1, 1996. They were originally supposed to have leftLatvia by January 1. But the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers tookthe last-minute decision to extend registration permits for suchmilitary retirees. They are now required to apply for an officialregistration extension before January 31. (SPb Vedomosti, Jan 1.)

MOSCOW-HELSINKI -- A NEW TAX ON RUSSIAN TRUCKS TRAVELING TOFINLAND went into effect on January 1. Russian trucks will nowbe charged 1 Finnish mark per kilometer or a minimum of 400 marksper day for the use of Finnish roads. The Finnish Union ofTruck Drivers had supported a higher tax, but the lower amountwas reached as a compromise between Moscow and Helsinki. No taxeswere previously paid in accordance with an existing agreementbetween the Soviet Union and Finland. The tax must be paid attoll houses at border crossing points. (SPb Vedomosti, 4 Jan.)

Environmental News

PSKOV -- A NEW LAW "ON THE USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES IN PSKOVOBLAST" was recently approved by the Pskov Oblast Council ofRepresentatives. The law defines the basic principles of naturalresource activity in Pskov Oblast. The law places an emphasis onnational and local regulation of natural resources and includesdetails on licensing procedures for the use of such resources.Questions of previous legal contradiction between the commercialuse of natural resources and local environmental legislation arein part covered by the new law. (Pskovskaia Pravda, 5 Jan.)

KARELIIA -- THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE "NATIONAL PARK OF KARELIANISTHMUS" will be discussed at the meeting of the Ecological Fundof Leningrad Oblast on January 25. The Karelian Isthmus iscurrently under study by a large number of Russian and foreignscientists who have pointed to the region's unique naturalhabitat. The question of the most rational use of 200 millionrubles recently designated for the environmental protection ofthe region will be discussed. (Chas Pik, 12 Jan.)

PSKOV -- THE PROTECTION OF THE VELIKAIA RIVER FROM POLLUTION isone of the principal requirements for assuring clean drinkingwater for Pskov residents. Random samples of the river water showthat its bacterial count can be up to five times higher than thepermitted level. The upper currents of the river containparticularly high amounts of bacteria. A decision from cityauthorities is expected in the near future in order that zoninglaws demanding that any form of sewage runoff from the city intothe Velikaia River be stopped. (Pskovskaia Pravda, 13 Jan.)

ESTONIA -- RESTRUCTURING OF THE GIANT FIRMS "EESTI ENERGIIA" AND"EESTI PYLEVKIVI" came to a standstill last year not only in thenortheast of Estonia but in Estonia as a whole, according toAndres Lipstok, the Estonian Minister of the Economy. The energysector is one of the few spheres of Estonia's economy which hasnot been rapidly restructured in the past five years."Reorganization of the energy sector [in Estonia] is a questionnot only of economic policy, but also social policy," he said.(Severnoe Poberezh'e, 9 Jan.)

FINLAND -- NEW TERRITORY HAS BEEN SET ASIDE in northern Finland, near the Finnish-Russian border, as a protected timber area. Thearea is to be 100,000 hectares in size. Four hundred lumberworkers are expected to lose their jobs in this region as aresult of the decision. Future purchases of timber andtransportation equipment is similarly expected to fall in theregion. (Golos Finliandii, Dec. 1995) Conferences, Events, and Meetings

NARVA-IVANGOROD -- NARVA CITY ADMINISTRATORS MET WITH LENINGRADOBLAST REPRESENTATIVES recently to discuss the possibility for awidening of cooperation between the adjacent cities of Narva andIvangorod over customs and immigration. Problems concerning rulesfor border crossing by local residents and the construction of anew bridge were raised. All participants of the meeting notedthat high import tariffs charged by the Russian side todayobstruct a normal commercial exchange of goods across the twoborders. Ivangorod, which relies on its heat and water from theEstonian side, now owes US $350,000 to Narva. (Estoniia, Jan. 6)

HELSINKI -- THE CENTRAL FINNISH TELEVISION NEWS REPORTED THATDRUG ABUSE IN ESTONIA is reaching critically high levels. Thereportage on drug use in Estonia was the broadcast news' leadstory. It emphasized that Estonian legislation is todayill-equipped to help solve problems of increased drug abuse inEstonia. The Finnish news report suggested that if the drugproblem in Estonia was not solved soon that the problem wouldnegatively affect the situation of illegal drug use in Finland.(Estoniia, 12 Jan.)

ST. PETERSBURG -- THE BUSINESS FORUM "FINBIZNES-96" will takeplace in March. The Finnish Association of Foreign Trade, and awide range of Finnish consulting, informational, and export firmsare organizing the forum. It is intended to foster economicactivity between Finland and Russia. "Tourism in Finland, FinnishFashion, and Life with Comfort" are among the presentationsplanned for the forum. The forum was also held last year. (Smena,Jan. 6)

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Children's Ecological Center of St.Petersburg celebrated its fifth-year anniversary. The EcologicalCenter was opened with the primary goal of providing ansupplementary environmental education to the city's children.Fifteen teachers are teaching 620 students this school year. TheCenter has its own garden of 3 acres. (Chas Pik, 13 Jan.)

ST. PETERSBURG -- OFFICIALS OF LENKOMPRIRODA announced plans fora long-range ecological program for the city of St. Petersburg atthe Committee's fourth-annual Christmas meeting. The proposedprogram is designed to encompass activities through the year2005. Ecological monitoring, education, and internationalcooperation were discussed at the meeting. Officials at themeeting accepted the proposed plan of the city administration.(Vechernii Peterburg, 5 Jan.)

New Facts and Statistics

HELSINKI -- ONE FIFTH OF ALL FINNISH RESIDENTS live in theHelsinki urban area, according to recently published data fromthe Statistical Center of Finland. Helsinki, Espoo, Oulu, andVantaa can today considered to be part of a single urban area,concludes the Center. The total Finnish population last year was5,117,000 persons. Foreigners resident in Finland last yearnumbered 68,500, or 6500 more than in 1994. (SPb Vedomosti, 10Jan.)

ST. PETERSBURG -- THE AVERAGE MONTHLY INCOME HAS DOUBLED for St.Petersburg residents in dollar equivalent in the past year. Theaverage monthly income has risen from US $74 to $146 sinceFebruary 1995. The gap between rich and poor has also grown inthe past year. The average family in St. Petersburg earns aboutUS $263 per month. The poll was conducted by means of telephonewith 1,500 respondents. (St. Petersburg Press, 9 Jan.)

APATITY, MURMANSK OBLAST -- MINERAL PRODUCTION from the ApatityMineral Enterprise grew to 630,000 tons in December 1995. Theincrease in production came largely as a result of a managementdecision not to demand full advance-payment on deliveries. Anexpected stricter tax code in 1996 also influenced the decisionto increase production in the last months of 1995. (MurmanskiiVestnik, 5 Jan.)


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