The Neighbors

A VIEW FROM OSLO

COOPERATION SOLVES PROBLEMS

Guro Fjellanger,
the Minister,
the Royal Ministry of Environment,
Norway

         Preparing the first publication of the section on neighbouring countries, we invited the head of one of the Norwegian ministries that maintains a particularly close link with the Northwest of Russia to take part. Here are the answers to the questions given.

        Dear Mr. Chief Editor,
         You have raised a number of important questions concerning the environmental cooperation between Norway and Russia, which I am happy to answer.
         1. Question: Why are Russia's interests getting priority in the Russian-Norwegian environmental project for the Northwest region?
         The environmental cooperation between Norway and Russia is based on an agreement signed 3 September 1992. The cooperation, which largely takes place in the adjacent regions or our countries, is first of all targeted on the abatement of pollution, including long range cross-boundary air pollution, protection of the marine environment and the biological diversity, prevention of radioactive pollution and the preservation of common cultural heritage. In my opinion, our environmental cooperation deals with problems of balanced interest in both countries.
         The cooperation is now concentrated on the development of professional competence, organizational capacity and instruments of the environmental management system and in industry in order to meet the great challenges we are facing jointly in our northern regions. It is a precondition that our cooperation shall contribute to ensure sustainability in the development of these regions, through the full integration of the environmental dimension into all economic activities, by elaborating common ecological criteria for the exploitation of natural resources, through gaining control over local and cross-boundary pollution.
         In this connection it is in the obvious interest of the Government of Norway to assist Russian authorities and Russian industry in their efforts, within the Russian reform process, to gain better control over environmental problems in Russia, to create sustainable development, improved management of natural resources and a reduced risk of cross-boundary pollution from industry, nuclear and offshore activities.
         2. Question: What is Norway gaining from cooperation with Russia in the area of nuclear industry and radioactive contamination, sea ecology and oil spills liquidation?
         Our general motives for cooperating with our neighbors in Russia are given in my repiy to your first question. I think it goes without saying that improved nuclear safety, prevention or radioactive contamination, sustainable fishery and prevention of oil spills in the northern sea areas are very important gains for us if we can obtain and improve all this through cooperation. We know from accidents such as Chernobyl what they cost both in ecological and economic terms. In the north the environment is very vulnerable to pollution damage.
         Norway and Russia are sharing the vast marine resources in the Brents Sea. This encompasses resources of vast economic importance to both countries. The objective of our bilateral cooperation for protection of the marine environment is to prevent negative longterm and irreversible man made effects on the northern seas. At the moment the work is focused on adaptation of Russian regulations to the 0SPAR Convention (Oslo-Paris Convention on Protection of the Marine Environment in the North-East Atlantic), environmental monitoring of the northern seas and the development of joint Norwegian-Russian regulations on environmental impact assessment concerning petroleum activities.
         3. Queslion: In some Russian-Norwegian projects the Norwegian side's interests are not so apparent as in the others. I am referring to the development of national parks and other state protected territories,preservation of biological species and natural landscapes in all their diversity, protection of cultural and architectural monuments in Russia. What benefits, financial or others, will Norway get from helping Russia to solve the above-mentioned problems?
         The protection of our biological diversity is a responsibility we have on a global scale. Development of national parks or other protected areas are important measures in this respect. Most of what is left in Europe of pristine nature, large uninterrupted animal habitats and ecosystems are located in Northern Russia. If there is to be a European policy for the conservation of such areas on a reasonable scale, then most of this policy will have to be implemented in Russia. We therefore see it as our responsibility as well to assist Russia in this important task, and not just leave it to Russia to undertake this project on behalf of the rest of us. Nature conservation in Northern Russia is for these reasons of common interest, and is perhaps the most important contribution we can give to the preservation of biodiversity in our part of the world.
         Yours sincerely, Guro Fjellanger,the Minister