Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at the commissioning of the Southwest wastewater treatment plant in St. Petersburg on 22 September 2005

The Baltic Sea has always more connected than divided the people living on its shores. It is natural that also our concern for the Baltic is common. The coastal states have cooperated for decades in order to improve the condition of the Baltic, and great advances have been made. One of the most important of these is the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant in St. Petersburg.

Finland actively promotes sustainable development and environmental protection. One special focus in this respect is the protection of the Baltic Sea. Finland's environmental authorities and the St. Petersburg Water Department, Vodokanal, have engaged in pioneering cooperation for nearly 15 years. The Vodokanal has been a reliable and skilled partner throughout this period. This Fenno-Russian cooperation has also created a basis for the St, Petersburg Water Department's cooperation with other countries and international financial institutions. The best example of this multilateral cooperation is the completion of the Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The plant project has required extensive contract and financing arrangements between the Russian customer, international financial institutions, financing countries, contractors and numerous subcontractors. The project had been very demanding. It has been necessary to develop entirely new operating models to allow smooth cooperation among all parties. It is especially gratifying that a project involving so many parties has been completed on schedule and entirely according to the financial plan.

The Southwest Wastewater Treatment Plant is the first project that has been completed with assistance from the Support Fund of the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership. In addition to participating in this fund, Finland and Sweden have supported the project bilaterally as well. I am convinced that the good experiences and relations achieved in this project can also be utilized in other Northern Dimension cooperation.

The success we feel today should also serve as a strong incentive for continuation of environmental work. The Baltic Sea is still very polluted. Everybody in the Baltic Sea and the catchment area should work both at home and in good cooperation with others for the better state of the sea.

There are so many people here worth thanking. First I would like to thank you, President Putin, for your valuable personal support for this project and its completion. My warm thanks goes also to you, Governor Matvienko, for your great contribution to the success of the work. Warm thanks also to the banks that provided financing for the project - the Nordic Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank - as well as the contractors. I also warmly thank the personnel of the Plant. The time schedule does not allow me to mention everybody who deserves to be mentioned but accept my general and most sincere thanks.