The Role of the Northern Maritime Corridor Project

The Norwegian Government’s High North Strategy

Good morning ladies and gentlemen,

I will like to begin by thanking the Northern Maritime Corridor Project (NMC-project) for the opportunity to address this conference on cooperation possibilities in the High North. As many of you are well aware of, the Norwegian Government launched a strategy for the high north in December last year. This strategy is given high political priority. 

I will address several topics in my speech, starting by giving a brief introduction to the High North Strategy. Then, I will elaborate on the Norwegian policy for safe and secure maritime transport, and the cooperation between Russia and Norway in these fields. Finally, I will comment on the role of the NMC project with regard to the Norwegian policy on maritime transport corridors.

The Norwegian Government’s High North Strategy

Norway and Russia have a long tradition of cooperation in marine research. This cooperation started more than hundred years ago and was in particular concentrated on questions related to the Barents Sea and its living marine resources.  Fifty years ago this cooperation was formalised in a signed agreement of cooperation between the Institute of marine research, IMR, in Bergen and the Fisheries and polar research institute, PINRO, in Murmansk. Late august this year, scientists from Russia and Norway met here in Tromsø to celebrate the formal fifty years of scientific cooperation and to present results from this long term relation!

In addition, the High North has renewed international significance caused by the Norwegian and Russian petroleum resources in the Barents Sea, as well as the transportation of these energy resources to relevant markets. In addition, the Norwegian-Russian cooperation in the High North has developed into an important channel for European dialogue.

It is in Norway’s interest, and also the responsibility of any coastal state, to ensure high standards for safety at sea, search and rescue services, and oil spill response in order to protect the riches of the sea. Increased activity on both the Norwegian and the Russian side of the border in the High North will lead to more maritime transport and add to the environmental pressure.

The development of transport corridors

The resources exploited in the Arctic will have to find its way to the markets in Europe and in America. This will lead to a substantial increase in transport along the northern coast of Norway. To meet this transportation challenge and to strengthen the maritime transport, the Ministry is working for the development of efficient transport corridors where all the different modes of transport are integrated. Possible collaboration between ports in Northern Norway and neighbouring Russian ports is an interesting thought in realizing viable transport corridors from the Barents to Europe or other continents.
 
It is important to develop the ports as hubs and logistical terminals in transport corridors. As most Norwegian ports are owned by local communities, except for the private ports run by larger businesses, initiatives to develop sustainable ports must be made at the local and regional level. In addition, the regions play an important role in the development of the overall transport policy.

The climate change is maybe at its most evident in the High North. To shift transport from road to the sea can reduce pollution that are affecting the climate. However the maritime traffic also has challenges when it comes to pollution of Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen oxide and CO2 pollution.

Maritime Safety

More and more economic activity in the High North is making reliable monitoring of maritime transport increasingly important. Last December, Norway got the International Maritime Organizations (IMO) approval to establish a ships’ routeing and traffic separation scheme outside of Norway’s territorial waters between Vardø and Røst (i.e. from eastern Finnmark to the southern tip of the Lofoten Islands). The scheme is a milestone in Norway’s efforts to improve safety at sea and oil spill response. Ships’ routeing and traffic separation are necessary to meet the challenges associated with increasing oil transport along the coast of North Norway.

The routing system applies to tankers and cargo vessels larger than 5000 gross tonnage, which are engaged in international trade. This new system will move maritime traffic outwards from the coast, to about 30 nautical miles.

Ships following the routeing system will be within the coverage of the Norwegian Coastal Administration’s AIS (Automatic Identification System) stations, which mean that traffic is monitored by the vessel traffic service centre (VTS) in Vardø. The establishment of the routing and separation system thus improves maritime safety and reduces the risk of coastal oil-spill.

The Norwegian government also intends to cooperate closely with other countries in the region to develop services on search, rescue and emergency response. It is natural that this initiative is carried out within the framework of the Barents Cooperation.

Infrastructure and measures to improve maritime safety, oil spill response and search and rescue services will provide a framework for safe, environmentally sound and efficient transport corridors in the High North. This will be necessary to ensure a sustainable transport system for all types of products going to all the various markets. Norway is thus playing an active role in creating a framework for the use of large sea areas, and will at the same time maintaining presence in these areas.

Cooperation with Russia 

The Norwegian government is aiming at building on the good neighbourly cooperation with Russia in general. Norway and Russia have developed a close and effective cooperation on maritime safety and oil spill response in the north. Last year a Memorandum of Understanding between Norway and Russia was signed on strengthening the cooperation on the topics mentioned. The Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal affaires and the Russian Ministry of Transport are lead partners in this work.

Our mutual work in this field has already resulted in a decision to jointly establish the Barents Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (Barents VTMIS). A Barents VTMIS means that both Norwegian and Russian authorities can receive continuous information about maritime traffic in the Barents Sea.

Further, it is important to point out that cooperation between Norway and Russia on oil spill preparedness was established already in 1994. This has resulted in common training and drills.

I will also take this opportunity to emphasise that active support provided by Russia was crucial in getting IMOs approval on the establishment of the ships routing system in the North of Norway. This underlines our common interest in strengthening maritime safety as well as protecting the environment.

The NMC project

As already stated, cooperation with Russia both on a local, regional and national level is of great importance in order to achieve the main goals in the Norwegian policy for the high north. This is especially true for the maritime transport sector, obviously because transport by nature is trans-boundary. 

Norwegian regions have participated in several interregional cooperation projects during the last 10 year. The northern maritime corridor (NMC) is one of these projects. Projects involving regional and local players, as well as connecting the public sector with the industry, can be a fruitful way of entering in to force the overarching aims of a national policy.

NMC can therefore play an important role in realising alternative and sustainable transport corridors. With regional partners from the entire North Sea and Barents area, NMC work as a catalyst for port cooperation and new initiatives in the field of maritime transportation. Furthermore, close cooperation with market players is necessary in order to identify and facilitate various obstacles and bottlenecks induced by the governments. Thus, from a national point of view we encourage you to provide us with information about your practical experiences. This is vital and necessary input to a more strategic cooperation between nations.

I know that one of the main goals of the NMC project is to make the EU look north - all the way to the Barents - when modelling the European transport policy.  One thing is for sure: the Arctic has substantial oil and gas resources, and the climate changes will provide the world trade with new and alternative transport solutions. From a Norwegian point of view, a close Euro-Russian Cooperation in the high north is essential to ensure sustainable development and use of this uttermost important area.

I have been looking forward to this conference, and I hope there will be fruitful discussions on how euro-russian cooperation on a regional level can contribute to safe and secure sea transport in the high north. 

Thank you for your attention!