Forest Code may be adopted in 2005, before summer parliamentary holidays: Ministry of natural resources

Dec 15, 2004. /Lesprom Network/. On December, 15 2004 Russian Minister of natural resources Yuri Trutnev met Stora Enso vice-president Arno Pelkonen, a spokesperson for the ministry announced. Yuri Trutnev informed Arno Pelkonen about the terms of Forest Code approval. According to Yuri Trutnev, the code may be accepted by 2005 before the summer parliamentary holidays. Yuri Trutnev and Arno Pelkonen decided to hold a presentation of the investment program prepared by Stora Enso. Yuri Trutnev stressed that the Ministry of natural resources is ready to consider a number of preferences for Stora Enso in exchange for significant long-term investments. The ministry will assist the company in order to sign the agreements with the Federal Timber Sector Agency and regions of operations. The minister expressed his readiness to participate in the presentation of projects by Stora Enso aimed at the construction of timber-processing enterprises in Russia. ‘As soon as we find a project of federal importance, we’re ready to cooperate. Timber-processing enterprises should have better conditions than the enterprises exporting raw materials’ he added.