On December 17th I wrote on the GDXF-list the message (under) on the
history and coming
deletion of Malyj Vysotskij, R1MV. etc.

The day of deletion has now been confirmed: Finnish and Russian
ambassadors met today, January 17th and exchanged the documents signed
by the presidents of both countries. The new agreement of the lease of
Saimaa Channel will be in force one month from today - February 17th.
As the new agreement does not include Malyj Vysotskij (R1MV ...), the
island will be deleted from the DXCC-list the day before, February 16th
2012.

This is, of course, subject to the decision of ARRL DXCC Committee.

It's unlikely that any DX pedition will come on from the island before
the deletion, although our Russian friends would have a possibility to
do it.

In my short message on the QSL's for R1MVI I mentioned the deletion of
Malyj Vysotskij, R1MV* probably as soon as in February 2012. Franz,
DJ9ZB, asked for details so let me write a few words about it.

Finland built and rented in early 1960's a 43 kilometer long channel,
called "Saimaa channel", from southeast Finland through Russian soil to
Wyborg and Baltic Sea. Also the island of Malyj Vysotskij (in Finnish
Ravansaari) was rented to Finland as a harbour and docking place.
Because MVI lies in the middle of Russia, it became a new DXCC country
in 1988.

The original agreement of the lease of Saimaa Channel and MVI was made
for 50 years and was to end 2013. Negotiations of the new agreement
started already some five years ago. Finland did not want to rent MVI
any more from Russia and Russia was not very interested to rent it to
Finland any more, because a large Russian military naval port lies only
200 meters from MVI. The new agreement did not include MVI anymore and
when it comes officially valid. MVI will be deleted from DXCC list.

The new agreement was made in early 2010. The Finnish Parliament and the
President of Finland ratified (= agreed it to be valid agreement) it in
November/December 2010. The Russian Parliament (Duma) and President
Medvedev ratified the agreement in early November 2011, a year later.

Now, the diplomatic things are very complicated to make the new
agreement to be finally valid. Finland and Russia will have first to
agree on a day, when the diplomats give the signed documents to each
other. Finland will give to Russia an agreement, which is signed by our
President Halonen and Russia will give Finland an agreement, which is
signed by their President Medvedev. The new agreement will be in force
one month after the exchange of documents.

Finland proposed the exchange to be December 1st, 2011, but that was not
good for Russia. For some reason they have no hurry with the final
agreement.
Russia have now proposed that the exchange of documents should be at the
end of January. If that happends, Malyj Vysotskij (MVI) will be deleted
at the end of February 2012.

This is not a "official" note but a information on what is going on.

A last operation from MVI?
No Finnish people have been allowed to go to MVI since last June. Only
Russians can go to the island today.

Finnish Amateur Radio League SRAL, Russian SRR and ARRL have made an
agreement that a DX-pedition from MVI must have both Finnish and Russian
operators. Because no Finns are allowed to the island, it's probably not
possible to make any operations to MVI any more. Otherwise, Russia now
being in CEPT, it would be much easier than before.

73

Jari, OH2BU
4J1FS 1991, 1992, OH2BU/MVI 1995, R1MVI 1995 etc.