Address of the Russian Federation to the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting
(Krakow, Poland, November 15, 2007)
Mr. Leonid Korovin, Head of the Russian Delegation
Ministers, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour and pleasure for me to participate in today’s HELCOM Ministerial Meeting. We all are here due to the important event not only for the Baltic region, but also for the whole Europe – adoption of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan that has been developed with a view to ensure a sustainable economic development of the region and future efficient use of natural marine resources.
We consider that adoption of this document which is very important for the Baltic confirms that only our joint activity helps us to find effective and balanced approach for successful solution of all priority tasks and to find an adequate and good answer to historical challenge as HELCOM has already repeatedly proved.
The HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP) will become not only the new basis for interrelation between the HELCOM Contracting Parties, but taking into account current geopolitical situation between the Russian Federation and EU in the Baltic Sea region.
We would like especially to emphasis the importance of the fact that adoption of this new HELCOM strategic document does not repeat the realization of previous programs such as Joint Comprehensive Baltic Sea Environmental Action Program (JCP).
BSAP is based on the ecosystem approach and declares the management of the human activity at that common ecological priorities and economic effectiveness of actions implementation will be the integral part of such approach. This is necessary so for ensuring of the proper ecological status of the Baltic Sea, as for supporting of the wide spectrum of sustainable types of the social and economic activities.
Ministry of Natural Recourses of the Russian Federation has taken an active part in the BSAP development recognizing the significance of this Plan for long-term regional planning of development of industry and agriculture, sea transport, construction and operation of the North-European gas pipeline – “North Stream”, construction of municipal treatment facilities with account of decrease of the anthropogenic pollution load on the Baltic Sea to achieve the aims of ecological quality of the marine environment.
Russia has been involved in joint work with Denmark to develop the BSAP segment on Maritime Activity initiating development of the long-term approach for the important document of the Baltic marine policy.
Paying great attention to the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action plan the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation points out the necessity of involving all interested governmental bodies, departments of the North-West Subject of the Russian Federation as well as the public jointed in implementation process at the national level.
We understand that the preparation and realization of the national programs for BSAP implementation will demand certain funds and fund-raising from different sources, including national and international financial institutes.
Russia understands in full volume those important tasks that are to be resolved by Russia during the period of its Chairmanship in HELCOM since July 1, 2008 – time of beginning of the BSAP implementation. And Russia considers it necessary to make more active use of existing of bilateral and multilateral agreements between the HELCOM Contracting Parties.
Such initiatives as renewed “Northern Dimension”, Russia-EU Permanent Partnership Council on Environment and others could play important role in realization of this cooperation.
We will succeed in implementing of the Baltic Sea Action Plan only by joint forces of the stakeholders structures at the international, regional and national levels.
Thank you for your attention.