UN to help Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Region to solve ecological problems

Leading representatives of the Russian Environment Ministry in Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Region met Deputy Director of the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) Shafkat Kakakhel in Saint Petersburg today. As a Rosbalt correspondent reports, they discussed UNEP's possible assistance in solving some of the region's ecological problems.

During the meeting ministry representatives said that Russian ecologists did not require any extra training to solve the problems but only financial help and equipment. Mr Kakakhel said that UNEP is an organisation which specialises in training ecological specialists and developing ways of protecting the environment. None the less, he promised to support Russian specialists working in Scandinavia, stressing the importance of solving the region's problems including the destruction of toxic waste and sewage.

Mr Kakakhel said he would do what he could to enable ecologists from Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Region to participate in international conferences and do research work abroad. He also said it was important for the two organisations to exchange valuable information.