Meeting with the Swedish Forestry Agency delegates

On 8 April 2014 the meeting of management and scientists of Saint-Petersburg Forestry Research Institute and Northwestern Federal District Forestry Department with Swedish Forest Agency representatives Lars Andersson and Per Hazell took place in Saint-Petersburg Forestry Research Institute.
Questions examined in the meeting concerned intensification of Russian-Swedish working group activities, co-operation prospects in the field of bioenergetics, forest regeneration, problems of boreal forests within the FLEG framework, scientific training courses, organization of joint workshops et al.

The parties noted that Russian-Swedish co-operation in the sphere of forestry is developed successfully on the basis of Memorandum of Understanding made between Rosleskhoz, Swedish Forestry Agency and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

I. A. Vasilyev, Director of Saint-Petersburg Forestry Research Institute observed that the most effective implementation of co-operation with the Swedish Forestry Agency took place within the framework of “Pskov Sample Forest” WWF Project, in which Saint-Petersburg Forestry Research Institute scientists took an active part. The Swedish Forestry Agency representatives confirmed that outcomes of this project were impressive both for Swedish and Russian parties and served as platform for establishing and development of new projects and also will be a foundation of works in the area of “Adaptive Forest Management”. This area includes forest management intensive model principles including promoting obtaining raw material for bioenergetics.

O. Verenikin, the Head of the Northwestern Federal District Forestry Department noted that the co-operation in the sphere of relations in the forestry with the Baltic Sea countries in particular with Sweden must yield definite results. “Now the theme of bioenergetics development is very topical both for Northwestern Federal District subjects and Swedish party, – O. Verenikin said. – We would like that our co-operation in the sphere of forest regeneration and bioenergetics should carry out taking into account a concrete joint groundwork”.

The Swedish colleagues informed of transnational project to be prepared, implementation of which will take place within the framework of European Union Program for Baltic Region countries. They laid emphasis on participation of Russia in this project. Besides Swedish Forestry Agency representatives expressed a hope for development of mutually advantageous bilateral project Russia – Sweden in the field of forestry.

Two meetings of Russian-Swedish working group were scheduled for working out collaboration plans, first of which will take place in May, 2014 in the territory of Saint-Petersburg Forestry Research Institute in Saint-Petersburg during the IV International Scientific and Practical Conference “Innovations and Technologies in the Forestry” (ITF-2014). The second meeting, during which a discussion of specific co-operation steps is expected, is planned for June – July 2014 during the workshop in Stockholm.