Minister Väyrynen: Forestry in the Nordic countries has examples to offer in developing the forest sector in Russia
Press release 128/2011
12 April 2011
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen raised the Nordic forest management practices and principles of sustainable forestry to the fore during his keynote address at the international conference “Russian Wood and Timber 2011” in Moscow on 12 April.
“Seamless cooperation between private forest owners, companies and the government in forestry issues has been a prerequisite so that Finland could become a world leader in the forest sector. Although we conserve more forest area than any other country in Europe, our timber production increases every year,” Väyrynen stated.
Minister Väyrynen considered it important that there is a long-range government forest policy, which has created strong preconditions for comprehensive development of the forest sector in Finland. As a topical example he mentioned the National Forest Programme 2015 now under preparation, the aim of which is especially to increase the diverse use of forests and wood.
“Forest-based bioenergy, in particular, will be emphasised in the future. Its importance is essential in mitigating climate change. The increased use of wood in construction and the wood-working industry has the same aim,” Väyrynen stressed.
Minister Väyrynen was the invited keynote speaker at the conference in Moscow, which is the year’s most important forest sector event in Russia.
Additional information: Päivi Nevala, Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, mobile tel. +358 40 753 4375