Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergei Donskoi and Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Vidar Helgesen talked about Russian-Norwegian cooperation on environmental protection at a working dinner in Oslo, Tass reported.

Mr. Donskoi said they discussed environmental issues in the Arctic. "We spoke about Russia's efforts to draft a plan on managing the Arctic and discussed the reduction in soot emissions that has been achieved, boreal forests and climate change," he said.

Mr. Helgesen noted that Russia and Norway have been cooperating on environmental protection for a long time as they are linked by a common border. He said the ministers also discussed sulphur dioxide emissions from the Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company, which is located close to the border, and described as fairly productive the recent visit of a Norwegian expert team to Russia to study this problem.