Priority directions of cooperation between Russia and Finland for the period of 2010-2011 determined

Within the frames of this visit, on December 11, 2009 was held the next meeting of Russia-Finland working group on forestry co-chaired by Aarne  Reunala, Director of Forestry Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland and B.M. Bolshakov, Deputy Head of Rosleskhoz.  

At the meeting of working group from Russian part took part representatives of different organizations under jurisdiction of Rosleskhoz, Russian Ministry of Agriculture, regional administrations (Republic of Karelia and Vologodskaya region) and Trade Representation of Russia in Finland. 

In the course of the meeting Parties exchanged information on current state of art in forestry of their countries and discussed further steps on implementing agreements achieved at 3-rd Russia-Finland forest summit. Also were considered issues of implementing project within the frames of IV stage of Russia-Finland Program on developing sustainable forest management and preserving biodiversity at North-West of Russia (2009-2011) and Group’s action plan for 2010-2011. 

The main long-term directions of cooperation in accordance with Action plan of the Group for 2010-2011 were recognized: exchange of experience in such spheres as “forest legislation”, “economics of forestry and forest management”, “construction of forest transportation infrastructure”, “bioenergetics”, “forest regeneration” and “forest inventory”. 

Before the meting on December 10 Russian delegation visited seed-breeding station of Metla institute were got acquainted with results of Finnish research in the field of forest regeneration.