Finnish President Tarja Halonen visits Leningrad region

Finnish President Tarja Halonen has started her working visit to St. Petersburg with a trip to the international special port of Primorsk. Leningrad Governor Valery Serdyukov greeted the Finnish President.

According to Serdyukov, the regional administration intends "to advance a proposal on the European Union's participation in the reconstruction of Svetogorsk-Vyborg highway." An international border-crossing point has been completed in Svetogorsk, however, the road "does not meet the standards of international transportation," the governor said.

In addition, the meeting will focus on the creation of a Russian-Finnish industrial complex in Svetogorsk and the participation of Finnish companies in the construction of a woodworking factory in the Leningrad region, Valery Sevryukov said.

Tarja Halonen will attend an oil base and an oil-loading terminal of the Baltic pipeline system at the port of Primorsk, a point of Russian oil transshipment.

The Finnish President is also scheduled to visit the Alvar Aalto Central Municipal Library and the Monrepo State Museum in Vyborg.