To develop and strengthen interstate cooperation in the forestry sector, on 28 September 2023, JSC “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) and the Ministry of Agriculture signed a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with the Ukrainian State Specialized Economic Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” (ДП “Ліси України”).
The purpose of the memorandum is to establish a sustainable partnership in the forestry sector by developing and strengthening cooperation in forestry, making sound decisions to improve forest management, combining efforts to identify external and non-governmental funding sources for initiatives and projects, and restoring Ukrainian forests affected by military action, including addressing the demining of Ukrainian forests.
The parties agreed on cooperation in several areas, such as efficient forest management and the preservation of forest biodiversity, automation of operations and the implementation of IT technologies, as well as the use of environmentally friendly technologies and forestry planning. The parties also agreed to cooperate on the cultivation of forest planting material using containerised seedling systems and in other areas.
“The signed memorandum once again confirms our readiness to provide support, knowledge and recommendations to our colleagues – the state forest managers of Ukraine. At the end of October, 24 years will have passed since the founding of the joint-stock company “Latvijas valsts meži”. Over these years, the state forest areas of Latvia have been purposefully managed, ensuring both the sustainability and increased value of the forests, as well as the preservation and enhancement of natural values. During this time, we have gained valuable experience, learned much from our neighbouring countries' foresters, and we continue to develop and implement the support of the latest technologies in our daily work. Our experience will be valuable for our Ukrainian colleagues, as there is still responsible work ahead, the results of which will be judged by future generations,” says Pēters Putniņš, Chairman of the LVM Board.
The trilateral memorandum was signed by Raivis Kronbergs, State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Pēters Putniņš, Chairman of the LVM Board, and Yuriy Bolokhovets, General Director of the Ukrainian State Specialized Economic Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine”.
Within the framework of the memorandum, the parties plan to organise the exchange of specialists and staff, joint meetings and study visits, as well as the exchange of scientific and technical information regarding research and development in the forestry sector.