Vuoksi River, Hydroelectric plant at Imatrankoski, Imatra, Finland. Photo: Ninara via Flickr
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Russia has notified Finland that it is terminating two key provisions of a bilateral treaty covering hydropower regulation on the Vuoksi River, ending a decades-long practice of delivering compensation electricity, according to Finnish public broadcaster Yle.
The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs received an official note, or diplomatic démarche, confirming the cancellation of Articles 3 and 4 of the 1972 agreement. These articles required Russia to supply Finland with replacement electricity due to lost production capacity at Finland’s Imatra hydropower plant, caused by dam operations at Svetogorsk on the Russian side of the border.
According to Yle, the Russian government justified the move by citing Finland’s refusal to purchase electricity from Russia. Imports of Russian electricity to Finland had already ceased in spring 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.
The decision affects only the electricity compensation provisions of the treaty. The broader agreement, which regulates water levels and flow between the countries via the Vuoksi water system, remains in force. The Vuoksi River flows from Lake Saimaa in Finland to Lake Ladoga in Russia.
Russian media had reported the government’s intention to cancel the articles already in early November.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
