14 January 2003 00:00
ON RESULTS OF MEETING OF HEADS OF GOVERNMENT OF BARENTS EURO-ARCTIC COUNCIL
2003-01-13-002
In the near future Russia and the member countries of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council will sign a multilateral agreement on nuclear safety in the Barents Sea region, Chairman of the Government of Russia Mikhail Kasyanov announced at the end of the Council summit, held in Norway on January 10-11.
Kasyanov reported that on the Russian side's initiative a decision had been adopted on the most controversial and complicated issue over the recent period, that of exempting from VAT equipment to be brought into Russia for the implementation of nuclear safety projects. In a short time this decision, he said, will be approved by the Government of Russia and submitted for ratification to the Federation Council. At the same time, Kasyanov pointed out, Russian legislation permits the Government by its decision to give effect to this norm even before it is ratified by parliament.
It is planned that the countries of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, of which Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Finland, Sweden and the EU Commission are permanent members, will supply the Russian Federation with the required equipment and technologies enabling raising the level of safety at nuclear installations, as well as solving the problem of disposing of nuclear and radioactive waste.
Already in the next few years several hundred million dollars may be accumulated under projects for improving nuclear safety and solving the nuclear waste disposal problem. It is expected that already in 2003, several projects for enhancing nuclear safety at Russian nuclear installations can be launched.
Kasyanov also said the Russian Government in the coming months plans to prepare a blueprint for fisheries and bioresources development. The blueprint, according to him, will help accomplish a set of economic measures which will permit satisfying the requirement of Russia in fish and sea products. In addition, Russia counts on cooperation with other countries, including the Barents Sea states, in marine bioresources development. Commenting at journalists' request on the fact that Russian fishing ships annually supply 2-3 billion dollars' worth of fish to Norway, the Prime Minister said the Russian leadership is worried by this phenomenon and will make every effort to raise the efficacy in the use of its rich stocks of bioresources.
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