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The Government of Finland has approved an Action Programme for 

 Central and Eastern Europe, which concentrates in the areas close to the 

 Finnish borders in Russian Federation and in the Baltic states. In this 

 programme matters related to the improvement of the safety of the nuclear 

 reactors of the former Soviet Union as well as environmental matters in 

 general have a high priority. 



Finland's bilateral grant contribution for these activities in 1990-92 

 amounts to approximately 45 million US$. At the moment some 30 

 million US$ has been tied to joint environmental investments, pilot and 

 technical assistance projects so that the total value of these projects 

 already amounts to more than 120 million US$. Since it is not possible 

 on this occasion to go into further details of our cooperation, please find 

 attached a leaflet on our cooperation programs and an up-to-date list of 

 joint ongoing projects within these programs. 



In the energy sector the Fiimish companies and institutions, with some 

 government funding, are cooperating with Russian counterparts in 

 improving safety in nuclear power plants in the Kola Peninsula and the 

 Saint Petersburg region. During 1992 the Finnish Government has 

 chaiuelled FIM 6,5 million for this purpose. In Russian Carelia and the 

 Saint Petersburg regions a major energy conservation pilot project 

 including a masterplan and 10 industrial and power plants have recently 

 been launched. This initiative is taking into account the alternative sources 

 of energy to eventually make it possible to replace technically outdated 

 conventional and nuclear power plants in the former Soviet Union. During 

 1992 - 1993 the Finnish Government will provide FIM 10 million to 

 support these activities. 



Through multilateral and bilateral cooperation Finland participates in solv- 

 ing environmental problems in the neighbouring countries. Our activity in 

 this matter is based on the assessment that the environmental situation in 

 the former socialist countries is alarming and the risks involved are a con- 

 cern for the whole international community. In the case of Finland 

 transboundary impacts and risks of pollution are of such magnitude that 

 the environmental problems of our neighbouring countries must be taken 

 fully into account in our national environmental policies. 



A lot of information has been collected and exchanged between us and our 

 neighbours on environmental problems and their solutions. The pollution 

 risks in Russia of the greatest concern to us are related to nuclear power 

 and waste risks in the Kola peninsula and the Saint Petersburg regions. 



