3rd international polar year programme to be worked out on Russia's initiative

The World Meteorological Organisation /WMO/ is beginning to work out a comprehensive programme of the 3rd International Polar Year on Russia's initiative.

This was disclosed by Alexander Bedritsky, the WMO new president and head of the Russian Hydrometeorological Centre, at a press conference in Geneva to sum up the 14th International Meteorological Congress.

The Russian delegation made the proposal, already approved by the congress, on the ground that polar regions predetermine to a considerable degree weather processes on the planet, Bedritsky pointed out. The fulfilment of the programme will promote economic development of the polar regions, the president of the WMO believes.

Bedritsky positively assessed the congress, which had been attended by more than 800 delegates from national meteorological and hydrological agencies of 171 countries, and ranking representatives of 38 international organisations.