The Finnish Foreign Ministry has filed a formal request with Russian authorities for information about the detention of a Finnish environmental researcher. President Sauli Niinistö called for a speedy resolution of the matter, Yle reported.
Seppo Knuuttila, a limnologist at the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), was detained last Wednesday while on an official data-collection trip to north-west Russia. He was collecting water samples from the River Luga in Kingisepp, just east of the Estonian city of Narva.
Knuuttila said last month that the Russian fertiliser company EuroChem's nearby Fosforit plant is one of the largest single contributors to Baltic Sea eutrophication. The company's communications director says that Knuuttila trespassed five kilometres into the firm's private property.
His laptop - which is Finnish state property -- was seized but Knuuttila was allowed to return to Finland.
"Russian authorities have not been in any kind of contact so far," says Nina Vaskunlahti, head of the Eastern Section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "The factory's management has indicated that the Finnish scientist was in an area that was not designated as being part of the study, while he has indicated the opposite. We are now trying to find out what this is all about and why he was detained."
Hannele Pokka, a former Minister of Justice who is now the Environment Ministry's Permanent Secretary, agrees that an investigation is needed. As she sees it, this is primarily a case of ignorance among the factory's management and local officials as to what the two governments had agreed on in Moscow about the study.
"In the past, sampling programmes have not been carried out on private companies' properties. It will probably take the Russians some time to get used to the idea that these issues are handled through open international processes," Pokka said.
With the incident coming at a crucial springtime phase of the study, the Secretariat of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) is urgently trying to arrange a meeting this week to agree on ground rules for continuing the study.
On Monday President Niinistö said he hoped the dispute could be cleared up as quickly as possible. He said he had discussed the case with Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.
Niinistö stressed that it is also in Russia's interest to reach an agreement on the issue.
Seppo Knuuttila, a limnologist at the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), was detained last Wednesday while on an official data-collection trip to north-west Russia. He was collecting water samples from the River Luga in Kingisepp, just east of the Estonian city of Narva.
Knuuttila said last month that the Russian fertiliser company EuroChem's nearby Fosforit plant is one of the largest single contributors to Baltic Sea eutrophication. The company's communications director says that Knuuttila trespassed five kilometres into the firm's private property.
His laptop - which is Finnish state property -- was seized but Knuuttila was allowed to return to Finland.
"Russian authorities have not been in any kind of contact so far," says Nina Vaskunlahti, head of the Eastern Section at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "The factory's management has indicated that the Finnish scientist was in an area that was not designated as being part of the study, while he has indicated the opposite. We are now trying to find out what this is all about and why he was detained."
Hannele Pokka, a former Minister of Justice who is now the Environment Ministry's Permanent Secretary, agrees that an investigation is needed. As she sees it, this is primarily a case of ignorance among the factory's management and local officials as to what the two governments had agreed on in Moscow about the study.
"In the past, sampling programmes have not been carried out on private companies' properties. It will probably take the Russians some time to get used to the idea that these issues are handled through open international processes," Pokka said.
With the incident coming at a crucial springtime phase of the study, the Secretariat of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) is urgently trying to arrange a meeting this week to agree on ground rules for continuing the study.
On Monday President Niinistö said he hoped the dispute could be cleared up as quickly as possible. He said he had discussed the case with Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.
Niinistö stressed that it is also in Russia's interest to reach an agreement on the issue.