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Russian forest use must meet economic, environmental needs - premier

Posted on: Thursday, 18 March 2004, 06:00 CST

Text of report by Radio Russia on 18 March

[Presenter] The Russian government today approved in principle the draft Forestry Code, Natural Resources Minister Yuriy Trutnev told reporters after today's cabinet meeting. He added that the prime minister had asked the Natural Resources Ministry and the Economic and Development and Trade Ministry to complete work on the document within a month. The main provision in the Forestry Code is to transfer forest resources into private ownership after 15 years of leasing.

Here is what Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said at the meeting:

[Fradkov] Obviously the resource potential of Russian forests is huge and it has to be used carefully and efficiently - I mean the requirements of economic development and the creation of conditions for the environmental wellbeing of the country.

However, you have to understand that legislation is now being prepared delimiting powers at levels of authority and evidently legislation on mineral resources has to be clearly linked to proposals on delimiting powers so that forests are preserved, used efficiently, and so that the people get as much as possible from this.

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