Environmental cooperation
The cooperation of Belarus with Finland in the field of environmental protection occupies a significant place in bilateral relations and it is actively developing both at the bilateral level and in the framework of international projects in which Finland is involved: Nordic Investment Bank (NIB), Nordic Environmental Finance Corporation (NEFCO), Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM).
Since 2015, Belarus has been implementing an investment program with the assistance of the EBRD and the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB, headquarters in Helsinki) “Belarus: environmental infrastructure project — the first stage”. NIB participates in international financing for the modernization of the Communal Production Unitary Enterprise“Brestvodokanal” and City Unitary Communal Production Enterprise “Grodnovodokanal” for improving the effectiveness of wastewater treatment. The amount of the NIB investment loan for the project in Brest is EUR 10 million, in Grodno — EUR 11.7 million.
In December 2018, within the framework of the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Katowice (Poland), Mr. Andrei Khudyk, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, met with Mr. Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of Environment and Energy and housing of Finland.
In February 2019, a delegation of Belarusian experts from Gomel and Minsk visited the “Fortum” company plant in Rijhimäki to study modern technologies for the disposal of hazardous waste, and to familiarize themselves with the technologies and production cycle for processing hazardous waste.
October 31 — November 1, 2019, a working visit to Helsinki was held by Mr. R. Labaznov, Head of the “Republican center for hydrometeorology, control of radioactive contaminationand environmental monitoring” (“Belhydromet”) and Mr. K. Deynegi, Chief engineer of “Belhydromet”, during which the Belarusian delegation ate negotiations with the management of Vaisala Oy and the Finland Meteorological Institute.
October 31 — November 1, 2019, Mr. Roman Labaznov, Head of the Republican Center for Hydrometeorology, Radioactive Contamination Control and Environmental Monitoring (Belhydromet), and Mr. Kirill Deynega, Chief Engineer, made a working visit to Helsinki Belhydromet ". During the visit, the Belarusian delegation held talks with the leadership of the “Vaisala Oy” company and the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
In November 2019, an expert from the Ministry of Natural Resources visited the city of Helsinki at the invitation of the Finnish Ministry of the Environment and Environmental Protection in order to study Finnish practices and environmental management standards, strategic environmental impact assessments, and public interaction mechanisms. A representative of Belarus visited the company “Stora Enso” to familiarize with environmental compliance in the production of pulp and paper.
