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Medvedev approves draft Russia-Finland agreement on icebreaking in Baltic Sea

Prime minister ordered the Russian Ministry of Transport to organize negotiations with the Finnish side

MOSCOW, November 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has approved a draft agreement between Russia and Finland on cooperation in icebreaking for vessels in the Baltic Sea.

The prime minister ordered the Russian Ministry of Transport to organize negotiations with the Finnish side, and following discussions to sign the document.

The agreement regulates assistance in icebreaking; access of icebreakers to the sea and the two countries’ inner sea waters; the mechanism of cooperation between core authorities of the two countries; settlement of disputes arising from interpretation and application of the agreement.

The document “contains rules other than those under the Russian legislation, and should be ratified in compliance with the law on the Russian Federation’s international agreements,” the Russian government said, adding the draft agreement complied with the Russian agreement practice in sea transport.

“The agreement will offer a legal base for development of the Russia-Finland relations in icebreaking services in the Baltic Sea, thus expanding and improving the bilateral trade and economic relations,” the Russian government said on its site.