Seminar
On the Way to Progressive Forest Industry in the Northwest of Russia

On the Way to Progressive Forest Industry in the Northwest of Russia seminar opened in PetrSU.

The seminar is organized by Petrozavodsk State University, Timber sector working group of Euro-Arctic Barents Region Council, Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA) and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland.

The seminar target audience is Russian representatives of state structures, timber business, science and education, as well as foreign experts in forestry interested in development of long-term relations with Russia.

Welcoming participants of the meeting the PetrSU Rector Professor Anatoly Voronin emphasized urgency of the subject chosen: "If we treat our forest resources carefully, they will be eternal." Petrozavodsk State University participates actively in such Russian and international projects, Faculty of Forest Engineering of PetrSU has gained significant experience of teamwork with Finnish colleagues. On the eve there passed negotiations of PetrSU representatives with Finnish Forest Research Institute, as a result of which the memorandum of further cooperation within the new project has been signed.

The Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA) Professor Timo Karjalainen has presented generalized information on the condition of wood branch of Northern Europe, and on those problems which timber industry faces in different countries. Special attention has been paid to the state of affairs in timber industry complex of the Northwest of Russia. His report became the starting moment of discussion and has actually opened the seminar.

At the seminar the most various issues related to the forest were covered: Modern condition of timber industry of the Republic of Karelia, Forest Policy in Russia, Intensification of Management and Perfection of Timber Cuttings in the Northwest of of Russia, etc. A number of projects within joint international programs has been presented as well.

The Faculty of Forest Engineering of PetrSU Professor Vladimir Syunev has presented two projects of the frontier cooperation program Quality of Timber from Russia and Influence of Timber Cutting Methods on Quality of Timber. Projects are implemented by joint efforts of Petrozavodsk State University and Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA), and financed by the EU Russia program Neighbourhood: Euroregion Karelia. Terms of realization of projects are years from 2005 through 2008.

Results of research according to projects will be generalized and published in printing works and located on pages of the Russian-language Web-site www.lesinfo.fi. The received information will help timber enterprises to make correct decisions regarding choice of the most effective technologies and machines.

During the seminar experts exchanged important information, planned possible ways of elimination of problems occurring in timber industry. In work of the seminar there also participated students of the Faculty of Forest Engineering of PetrSU.