Russian-American Environmental Cooperation Highlighted on Kamchatka

(July 13-14, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky) Kamchatka could be the next big eco-tourism destination, according to participants of the 16th Annual RAPP (Russian-American Pacific Partnership) Meeting.  The two-day forum focused on trade, business cooperation, and environmental issues, with climate change and other topics featured in presentations by USAID/Russia and implementing partners.  Daniel Reifsnyder, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Co-chair of the Environmental Working Group, U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, spoke at the meeting and will travel to other Russian cities in the region to explore further opportunities for environmental cooperation.  Current USAID projects in the Russian Far East include forest management, habitat monitoring, and anti-poaching initiatives to protect the Amur Tiger.   (RAPP is supported by USAID/Russia, Sakhalin-1, Microsoft, Boeing, Caterpillar, Vladivostok Air, and other Russian and U.S. companies, and is organized by Seattle-based NGO Foundation for Russian American Economic Cooperation {FRAEC}.  170 people attended this year’s RAPP meeting; co-chairs were the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and the U.S. Commercial Service.)

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