Envoyer Imprimer Tweeter

17/05/2001 - The Russian Minister of Natural Resources, Mr. Boris Yatskevich has pledged to step up environmental co-operation with OECD. Meeting with OECD Environment Ministers in Paris, Mr. Yatskevich said: "Russia is undergoing a major reform of its environmental policies and institutions. We are interested in strengthening our environmental performance and we see enhanced co-operation with OECD and its Members as an important step in this direction".

Joke Waller-Hunter, OECD's Environment Director welcomed the Russian initiative: "It is encouraging to see how much common ground exists between OECD Members and Russia on environmental issues. We discussed co-operation in areas such as better integration of environmental considerations into economic decision-making, the use of market-based mechanisms to achieve environmental goals, the sustainable use of natural resources and environmental information".

OECD Environment Ministers at this meeting in Paris adopted an environment strategy for the first decade of the 21st century. Although Russia is not a member of OECD, there is an active programme of co-operation which has as its ultimate goal Russian membership of the Organisation.

OECD officials will travel to Moscow shortly to agree on next steps in co-operation with Russia. Mr. Yatskevich also agreed to make more environmental information available to strengthen the basis for future co-operation with OECD Members.

For further information, journalists should contact Helen Fisher in OECD Media Relations (tel. 33 1 45 24 80 97).