Norway ready to start negotiations with Russia

When Russia's first deputy prime minister Viktor Zubkov met Norway’s minister of trade and industry  Trond Giske this morning, he was greeted by the news that Norway is ready to start negotiations on a trade agreement with Russia.

Russia is already an important trading partner for Norway. Despite the financial crisis, Norwegian  exports to Russia last year totalled 5.8 billion kroner. This is twice as much as in 2003. - A trade agreement will give us better conditions for trade between our two countries, Giske said.

In 2008, EFTA and Russia completed a joint feasibility study which recommends negotiations to start. Russia has meanwhile established a customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan, and has requested that the negotiations cover all three countries.

- We have worked actively for many years to start this work. The Government has now clarified that it is possible to extend the agreement to include all countries in the customs union, which means that we may enter into an agreement that includes Belarus and Kazakhstan, Giske said.

A similar policy clarification is needed in each of the EFTA countries before talks can start with the three countries where a total of 165 million people live.

- This is a huge market for Norway. As an example, Norwegian business expertise and strong commercial interests in the energy sector should be of great interest for Kazakhstan, Giske said.

 

Facts:

• Trade between Russia and Norway in 2009:  12 billion Norwegian kroner
• Norwegian trade with Belarus in 2008 amounted to approximately 1.17 billion Norwegian kroner, while exports from Norway to Kazakhstan in the same year amounted to 3.56 billion Norwegian kroner against imports of 83 million Norwegian kroner.
• Norway is to lead the EFTA negotiations with Russia, White Russia and Kazakhstan.
• Neither Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have completed negotiations with the WTO. From the Norwegian side, it is assumed that Russia and other countries in the customs union should be WTO members before any trade agreement with EFTA is signed.