Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus, Mr. Andrei Khudyk, visits Sweden

On 22-23 May, 2019 the Belarusian delegation headed by Mr. Andrei Khudyk, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus, payed a working visit to Sweden. The visit was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus to the Kingdom of Sweden with the assistance of the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and the Project of International Technical Assistance managed by the Ministry of Environment and the UNDP.

The Minister of Environment of Belarus met with the Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Environment and Climate, Ms. Isabella Lövin.

The heads of the environmental protection agencies of the two countries agreed to step up cooperation in environmental protection and climate change mitigation. Belarus emphasized that it is carefully studying Sweden's practices in waste management, recycling and the use of waste in energy production. Belarus is particularly interested in the lessons the Swedish partners learned while looking for the most eco-friendly waste prevention and recycling methods as part of the circular economy concept. Its implementation in Belarus is intended to promote the advanced development of environmental protection technologies in our country. Cooperation in this sphere is an integral part of a common effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, it is based on common interest to preserve and improve the ecology of the Baltic region and involves a wide range of instruments.

The Belarusian delegation, which included representatives of the Energy Ministry and the State Standardization Committee, also met with the leadership of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

On May 23, the delegation visited the cities of Borlänge and Falun in the Swedish province of Dalarna, where it got acquainted with modern environmental solutions at municipal energy facilities and industrial enterprises, including the “Borlänge Energi AB” waste-to-energy plant and “Falu Energi & Watten”.

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Belarus and Sweden closely cooperate in the environmental protection sphere and climate change mitigation. The two countries implement a number of environmental protection projects sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, including modernization of water treatment facilities in Grodno and Brest, as well as in several district centers. In 2018, about 690 tonnes of highly toxic rocket fuel were removed from Belarus and disposed of with the help of Swedish partners. Cooperation between the nuclear watchdogs of the two countries is also being developed.

Non-governmental organizations, including the Center of Environmental Solutions, Forum Sud, APB-BirdLife Belarus and others, are actively involved in cooperation in this field.

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