On 16–17 September 2019 representatives of the
Russian regions visited Finland to learn about advanced technologies in such
areas as waste processing, recycling, and renewable energy. The representative Russian delegation included 34
participants from 12 constituent regions
of the Russian Federation, including Head of the Republic of Karelia Artur
Parfenchikov, Head of the Republic of Komi Sergei Gaplikov, Prime Minister of
the Republic of Mordovia Vladimir Sushkov, Minister of Natural Resources and
Ecology of Tver Region Andrey Naumov, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources
of the Republic of Tatarstan Alexander Shadrikov, Deputy Minister of Housing
and Utilities of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Viktor Romanov, First Deputy
Minister of Housing and Utilities of the Moscow Region Natalia Egorova, Acting
Mayor of Vyshny Volochek (Tver Region) Natalia Roschina, First Deputy Mayor of Cherepovets
(Vologda Region) Dmitry Lavrov, and Deputy Director of the Agency for Novgorod
Region Development Viktor Bikov.
The visit agenda included a meeting with the
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Finland Pavel
Kuznetsov, a business lunch with the Minister of Economic Affairs Ms Katri
Kulmuni, and a technological seminar, which presented the investment potential
of the Russian regions. The Russian participants learned about the Finnish
technologies of waste management and circular economy. The delegation visited
four unique enterprises: Fortum waste processing plant in Riihimäki, the
demonstration centre of the state-of-the-art Automatic Solid Waste Collection
System by MariMatic, the Viikinmäki wastewater treatment plant, the
Lassila&Tikanoja waste management and recycling plant in Kerava. Besides
the tours, the official visit programme included meetings and talks with
representatives of Finnish companies.
The delegation participants took a close look at
Finland’s closed-loop economy and discussed the prospects for bilateral
cooperation in the view of the Russian regions’ needs.
The event was organized by The Roscongress Foundation, the Ministry
of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, Business Finland, the Trade
Mission of the Russian Federation in Finland and the Finnish—Russian Chamber of
Commerce with the support of the Embassy of the Russian Federation, the Embassy
of Finland in Moscow, and the East Office of Finnish Industries, Ministry of
the Environment and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.
