President Halonen in talks with President Putin in Moscow

Bilateral matters between Finland and Russia were at the top of the agenda when President of the Republic Tarja Halonen met with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Sunday, 30 September 2007. President Halonen and President Putin discussed the long lorry queues at the Finnish-Russian border. According to President Halonen, decisions needed to speed up border traffic have been made in Russia, but these have not been implemented properly. President Putin promised to draw Russian authorities' attention to the matter, and if this does not produce the desired results, a new meeting will be arranged between Finnish and Russian authorities to improve the situation. The two Presidents also discussed plans for a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea and its environmental impacts as well as the protection of the Baltic Sea in general. On the international scene they discussed issues regarding climate change, among other things.

President Halonen and President Putin met in Novo-Ogaryovo. Copyright © Office of the President of the Republic of Finland

The meeting took place at President Putin's official residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, on the outskirts of Moscow. President Putin concluded by inviting President Halonen to meet Russia's new Prime Minister, Viktor Zubkov, and other members of his Cabinet and the Russian Security Council. President Halonen attended a dinner that was arranged to celebrate the birthdays of Prime Minister Zubkov and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. In addition to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, guests included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of the Interior and the Speakers of both houses of the Russian Parliament.

President Halonen also paid her respects at the 90th birthday of Yuri Lyubimov, the renowned director of the Taganka Theatre.

Full cooperation is the only way to save the Baltic Sea

On Monday, 1 October President Halonen travelled to St. Petersburg for the inauguration of a new chemical phosphorus removal facility at the central wastewater treatment plant. In her speech President Halonen noted that effective partnership in the environmental field can serve as a model for other sectors.

"The Northern Dimension policy with the EU, Russia, Norway and Iceland as partners offers a good framework for developing regional cooperation in energy efficiency, transport and other areas," she said.

President Halonen was pleased that the public and private sectors as well as individuals have demonstrated a strong will to save the Baltic Sea.

"The Clean Baltic Sea project, which is a civil society initiative, has improved phosphorus removal at the largest wastewater treatment plants in St. Petersburg. The Clean Baltic Sea project has speeded up existing cooperation by combining public and private resources to save the Baltic Sea," she said.

"Improving phosphorus removal in St. Petersburg is a targeted measure to overcome the most serious challenge in the Baltic Sea - eutrophication. The project shows that the only way to save the Baltic Sea is through full cooperation," President Halonen added.

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