HELCOM Chairman takes part in the launch of the Baltic Sea Action Summit initiative

Helsinki, 19 May (HELCOM Information Service) – The Chairman of HELCOM, Mr. Igor Maydanov today paid a visit to Helsinki to take part in the official launch of Baltic Sea Action Summit initiative. 

The initiative was jointly inaugurated by the President of the Republic of Finland, Ms. Tarja Halonen, the Prime Minister of Finland, Mr. Matti Vanhanen and the Chairman of the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG), Mr. Ilkka Herlin in the presence of government officials, representatives of the science and business communities, media and foreign diplomats accredited in Finland.

The objective of this initiative is to prepare and develop commitments of the public and the private sector around the Baltic Sea to concrete measures for the recovery of the Baltic Sea based on the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. The key event in this process will be the Baltic Sea Action Summit, to be held in Helsinki on 10 February 2010, which will bring together governments, businesses and NGOs from all around the region.

In her address at the opening session, President Halonen said that saving the Baltic Sea calls for concrete action and that the governments and other public actors can make significant contributions but cannot do everything. She said that innovations and the best practices to save the Baltic Sea will be produced in comprehensive cooperation. The President asked the public and private actors to join their forces and make commitments to the benefit of the Baltic Sea. In cooperation with Prime Minister Vanhanen, she invited all Heads of State or Government of the Baltic Sea States to take part in this work to rescue the Baltic.

Eight companies that have already joined the initiative presented their own commitments and tools to save the Baltic Sea at the launch of the initiative. These companies participate in this work by donating their own know-how, products and funds for projects and by adopting operations that are friendlier to the Baltic Sea. The participants unanimously noted that the promotion of public-private cooperation in the Baltic Sea region is the fastest and most sustainable way to obtain results.

The Chairman of HELCOM, Mr. Igor Maydanov, extended his congratulations to the initiators of the Baltic Sea Action Summit. “We are on the eve of a very significant summit, which has key political significance for the future prosperity of the Baltic Sea region,” said Maydanov. “Not only is this Summit being arranged at the highest political level, but it also aims to obtain practical and implementable actions. I see the Baltic Sea Action Summit as an excellent preparation for the May 2010 HELCOM Ministerial Meeting in Moscow, which will be a stocktaking of the current status of implementation of the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan and more specifically it will assess the Programmes of Action by each Baltic coastal country,” added Maydanov.

Following the inauguration of the initiative, Chairman Maydanov had brief discussions with President Halonen and Prime Minister Vanhanen on issues related to the implementation of the project, as well as the HELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan.

Note to Editors:

The Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, usually referred to as the Helsinki Commission, or HELCOM, is an intergovernmental organisation of all the nine Baltic Sea countries and the EU which works to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollution. 

HELCOM is the governing body of the "Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area," 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