White paper on opportunities and challenges in the northern areas. Northern area dialogues

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.

“It is important that our co-operation partners have a good understanding of the complexity of the situation in the northern areas,” said Foreign Minister Jan Petersen. “This is particularly important as regards striking a balance between the interests of the petroleum industry on the one hand and consideration for the environment and the fishery resources on the other. The Government therefore announces in the white paper that it intends to intensify its dialogue with other countries on northern area issues.”

To begin with, the Government will initiate dialogues on the subject with the USA, Canada, Germany, the UK, France and the EU. The first rounds of the dialogues with Germany and the USA have already been completed. Foreign Minister Petersen stresses that dialogues with other western countries on the northern areas will go hand in hand with closer co-operation with Russia, which is our most important co-operation partner in the north.