White paper on opportunities and challenges in the northern areas. Stepping up the Barents co-operation

A white paper entitled Opportunities and Challenges in the North (Report No. 30 (2004-2005) to the Storting) was presented to the Council of State today. In the white paper, the Government gives an account of the new opportunities and challenges Norway is facing in the northern areas and how it intends to address them with a view to securing political stability and sustainable development in the region.

“The Barents co-operation is a key tool of our northern areas policy,” said Foreign Minister Jan Petersen. “It is also an important forum for Norwegian-Russian co-operation. The success of the co-operation is due not least to the fact that the counties of Northern Norway have managed to develop co-operation with Russia at the regional level. The Government hopes to further develop the Barents co-operation by strengthening project co-operation with Russia and the other CIS countries, and will propose specific allocations in the regular budget process.”

The people-to-people co-operation in the Barents region is progressing well. There is, however, a need to review the formal structures of the Barents co-operation in order to make them more effective. The Government will therefore propose an independent evaluation of the Barents co-operation. The evaluation should also look into whether the co-operation could be strengthened by establishing an international Barents secretariat, which in Norway’s view should be located in Kirkenes.

Norway is chairing the Barents Council in the period 2003-2005. Norway’s main priorities are private sector and economic development, education, the police and justice sector, emergency and rescue services co-operation, and health.