Finland passes on Barents chairmanship to Russia

I am highly satisfied with our meeting, where cooperation in the Barents region took concrete steps forward, Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva stated at the press conference following the Barents Euro-Arctic Council meeting in Rovaniemi on 15 November. The meeting confirmed the establishment of a permanent international Barents Secretariat at Kirkenes, Norway. At the meeting, Kanerva also handed the Council chairman’s gavel over to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of Russia.

Kanerva said that the atmosphere at the meeting had been excellent. He believed that multilateral Barents region cooperation would receive much support with the establishment of a permanent secretariat. He also promised support for the Russian chairmanship now beginning and for the chairmanship’s goals.

The Karelian Republic of Russia, in turn, passed the chairmanship of the Barents Regional Council on to the Oulu Region.

Sustainable development and indigenous peoples as Russia’s focal points

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thanked Finland for the country’s efficient care of the chairmanship, and said that the focal points of Russia’s two-year chairmanship now starting will be sustainable development and attention to environmental issues and indigenous peoples. Foreign Minister Lavrov also considered the establishment of a permanent secretariat as central.

Lavrov underscored the importance of reaching a consensus in handling Northern region issues and brought out the multilateral Barents region cooperation, where aside from Governments the actors include the regions, parliaments and young people. He also noted the importance of other forms of cooperation active in the region, such as the Northern Dimension and the Nordic Council, especially with regard to cooperation in environmental issues.

Thanks for Finland’s chairmanship

The other parties of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, i.e. Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and the European Commission, also thanked Finland for a well managed and fruitful chairmanship. A joint communiqué outlining the key conclusions of the meeting was signed.

The Barents Euro-Arctic Council was formed in Kirkenes, Norway in 1993. In addition to the seven members, observers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, the United Kingdom and the USA were also present at the meeting.

The Joint Communiqué (RTF, in English)