HELCOM Secretariat delegation to attend the Baltic Sea Day in St. Petersburg

HELSINKI, 15 March (HELCOM) -- A HELCOM Secretariat delegation led by the Executive Secretary Anne Christine Brusendorff will participate in the VI International Environmental Forum “Baltic Sea Day” which will be held in St. Petersburg, Russia, on 22-23 March.

This annual Forum focuses on the ecological status and protection of the Baltic Sea marine environment, and popularises the activities of the Helsinki Commission. It is actively supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation, the governments of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, as well as the Baltic Sea countries.  It is expected that several hundred quests, including representatives of the governments, scientific institutes and public organisations from the Baltic Sea countries will participate in the Forum.

“The annual Baltic Sea Day in St. Petersburg has already become a good tradition. Each year this international environmental forum gathers people from all over the region who share the common interest and commitment to improve the state of the Baltic Sea marine environment,” said HELCOM’s Executive Secretary.

She stressed that the Forum plays an important role in contributing to the activities of the Helsinki Commission. “HELCOM is very interested in discussions that take place during the Baltic Sea Days because they focus on the most pressing environmental issues that are on the agenda of the Commission,” said Brusendorff.

This year the programme includes plenary and sectional sessions on a wide range of topics, including the trilateral cooperation in the Gulf of Finland, the strategy for data collection on hazardous substances in Russia, the European Marine Strategy and the EU Water Framework Directive, as well as the status of the environmental “hot spots” in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.

“We wish success to the VI International Environmental Forum “Baltic Sea Day” and hope that the in-depth discussions among dedicated environmentalists, politicians and the general public will be very productive and help find apt solutions to some of the urgent environmental problems we are facing today in the region,” said Brusendorff.

For more information contact:

Nikolay Vlasov

Information Secretary

Helsinki Commission

Katajanokanlaituri 6 B

FI-00160 Helsinki, Finland

Tel. (dir.): + 358 9 6220 2235

Fax: +358 9 6220 2239

E-mail: nikolay.vlasov@helcom.fi