Russian President's Plenipotentiary Meets Secretary of Nordic Council of Ministers

On Thursday in Copenhagen, Victor Cherkesov, Plenipotentiary of the President of the Russian Federation in the Northwest Federal District, met with Soren Kristensen, General Secretary of the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM). During their meeting, NCM programmes for the contiguous territories from 2003 to 2005 were discussed. Kristensen spoke of the possible redistribution of means within the framework of these programmes for the benefit of northwest Russia in connection with the entry of Baltic countries into the EU.

Ecological projects will become a priority of the NCM's activities in northwest Russia, according to Kristensen. He expressed his interest in the opening of an NCM 'contact centre' in Kaliningrad. Another contact centre is planned in Vyborg.

Cherkesov also met with Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller. In particular, the idea of forming a zone free of nuclear waste (industrial as well as military) within the Northwest Federal District was discussed.