The Barents Cooperation turned 30 this year and its past, present, and future have been central topics during the 2023 Kirkenes Conference in Northern Norway. The Russian warfare against Ukraine has led to a halt in all cooperation activities with public institutions in Russia; however, the war has not put a stop to the Barents cooperation between Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the other members Denmark, Iceland, and the EU, as emphasized by the Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto (Finland has the chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council). “Contrary to what has sometimes been claimed, the cooperation in the Barents region has not lost its purpose following the suspension of Russia. The Barents cooperation has had a renaissance that has strengthened the activity of the remaining members […]” said Haavisto in a digital presentation at the conference. “Continuity in the Barents cooperation […] has been one of the cornerstones of the regional cooperation in the Arctic […]. The Barents cooperation takes place in a unique format that includes the member countries’ capitals, local communities, and the inhabitants of the Barents region. The cooperation also acknowledges the role of indigenous people and the region’s youth, something that is crucial for the sustainable and long-term development of the Barents region,” continued Haavisto. “This year, the Barents cooperation turns 30 years. Originally we wanted to celebrate […], but it is not appropriate in light of the Ukraine war. […] We have also succeeded in carrying out much of our chairmanship program, which focuses on the green shift and climate change. And the cooperation will continue without Russia as long as it is necessary,” asserted the Finnish MFA, pointing to an unanimous decision among the members: interaction with the Russian side will be out of the question as long as Moscow is waging war. The new Nordic enthusiasm for the Barents cooperation was confirmed by the Swedish MFA Tobias Billström (Moderates), who also participated digitally in the Kirkenes Conference: “We will continue the Barents cooperation in a Nordic format. The Barents cooperation is an example of what can be achieved when nations meet and work together on specific issues as equal partners,” said Billström. “[…] Much of the cooperation’s strength lies in its ability to function at multiple levels. Cooperation at the working group and expert level and close interaction between stakeholders at the national, regional, and local level are at the core,” highlighted Billström. “At the same time, more must be done. Joint efforts on community preparedness, supply security, health and social issues, as well as reliable border-crossing infrastructure, is also necessary in order to make the Barents region an attractive place to live and work in,” he said. Billström wants the Barents cooperation to develop in three areas specifically: “I see three areas in which there is a specific need for and major opportunities to strengthen our cooperation. The first is the climate and environment field [that] affects the Barents region with serious consequences for ecosystems, communities, and indigenous livelihoods. The recently adopted industrial strategy for the Nordic regions and the Barents climate action plan are important contributions to speeding up the environmentally friendly shift of our region,” he said and continued: “The other area [is] the people-to-people cooperation between the young people in our region. This builds long-term relationships, increases understanding, and provides enriching experiences. The youth platform developed by the Council of the Baltic Sea States is an important contribution to this purpose and we encourage young people in the Barents region to participate in this work.” Finally, “The protection of civil societies is a third central area. Cooperation in this area is important to be able to handle everything from new pandemics to natural disasters. The Barents rescue cooperation is also important. This work must be further strengthened,” believes Billström. The ‘Norwegian Barents Secretariat’ will remain, but with certain changes, stated Eivind Vad Petersson, State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: clarifications regarding its future, which especially supports Norwegian-Russian interaction in the Barents region, will come in the near future. “[…] the Barents Secretariat here in Kirkenes […] cannot continue its work exactly as before […]” said Vad Petersson. The Barents Secretariat’s leader, Lars Georg Fordal, spoke about the dialogue begun with the Finnish and Swedish sides about the development of interaction: “We have already started a constructive dialogue with Finland and Sweden on what we can cooperate on in the time coming. A joint challenge is that the youth is moving south and there is a need for new activity. We also wish to speed up the green shift. In addition, the change in Russia has created a major security problem that we and the Finns share […]” said Fordal and continued: “[…] we have started conversations about doing specific things together. One example […]: Before this conference, we arranged a meeting with around 40 Norwegian and Finnish businesses and representatives about how Finland can utilize the port in Kirkenes.”
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