Final decision with regard to the Kursk may be made at the Russian - European Union summit in March. Secretary of the Kursk International Foundation says problems between Russia and its foreign partners are solvable. The matter concerns Russia's participation in implementation of the nuclear wastes handling problem in north-west Russia suggested by the European Union.

The European Union insists that the decision on the ecological program should precede decisions on financial aspects of the operation in the Barents Sea.

Ilya Klebanov of the Russian government says the operation will begin in late summer even if the necessary sum is not raised by then. "We have an agreement with the international consortium that it will do its job regardless. The consortium will be paid from additional revenues of the Russian budget in 2002," Klebanov says.