HELCOM's Chairman pays a visit to Minsk to discuss Belarus’s accession to the Helsinki Convention

Minsk, 26 February (HELCOM Information Service) – HELCOM’s Chairman, Mr. Igor Maydanov paid a visit to Minsk on 24-26 February to discuss with Belarus government officials the possible accession of their country to the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention). 

Mr. Maydanov was received by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus, Mr. Leontiy Khoruzhik. The discussion between the two parties focused on the state of environment and environmental protection programmes in Belarus and the Baltic Sea area, co-operation between the HELCOM countries and Belarus on issues of transboundary pollution, as well as requirements and obligations for joining HELCOM.

Mr. Maydanov invited Belarus to consider the accession to the Helsinki Convention, emphasizing that “such a step could be beneficial for both Belarus and HELCOM.” Mr. Khoruzhik, on his part, said that Belarus, being an observer to HELCOM, is closely following the activities of Helsinki Commission. The Minister stated that Belarus is doing a lot to improve the overall environmental situation, protect water resources and conserve and recover biodiversity in accordance with the national programmes. At the same time he expressed substantial interest in HELCOM’s expertise and technology for phosphorous removal at the wastewater treatment plants, which Belarus is currently lacking.     

Mr. Maydanov and Khoruzhik have agreed to continue consultations on Belarus’s possible accession to the Helsinki Convention with a view to have a preliminary roadmap ready by June 2009.

Belarus has been an observer to HELCOM since 1997. Up to 45% of its territory lies in the Baltic Sea catchment area. The available data shows that the transboundary pollution load to the Baltic Sea coming from Belarus is significant. Most of the pollution from Belarus comes with riverine loads via Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Addressing transboundary pollution originating in Belarus and other non-HELCOM member countries lying in the catchment area has been identified as one of the priority actions for the Helsinki Commission in order to restore the good ecological status of the Baltic marine environment.

Note to Editors:

The Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM, works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution through intergovernmental co-operation between the countries bordering the sea - Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and also the European Community.  

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," more usually known as the Helsinki Convention.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Nikolay Vlasov

Information Secretary

HELCOM

Tel: +358 (0)207 412 635

Fax: +358 (0)207 412 639

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi