Russian-Swedish Conference on Notification about and Prevention of Emergencies to Open in St. Petersburg, August 12

A Russian-Swedish conference on notification about and the prevention of local emergency situations will be held at the All-Russian Center of the Medicine of Catastrophes of the Ministry of Emergencies in St. Petersburg, from August 12 through 15.

A Rosbalt reporter was told at the center that, besides a Swedish delegation, the conference would be attended by Fritz Balkau, the Principal Officer of United Nations' Environmental Programme; a delegation from Russia's Ministry of Emergencies headed by Yuri Brazhnikov, a Deputy Minister of Emergencies; and representatives from Finland. The Swedish delegation will be headed by Lars Hederstrem, Deputy Director of the Swedish Rescue Agency. The Finnish delegation will be headed by Timo Viitanen, an advisor of Finland's Interior Ministry. Other participants will include the heads of chief civil defence and emergency situations agencies of the regions within the Northwestern Federal District of Russia.