Russia postpones minister-level business talks with Norway
A long-planned June meeting with Norway’s Trade and Industry Minister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen will have to wait until Russia has decided which minister to send to Oslo.
With low volumes of trade and little cross-border investments, though, Russia and Norway still keep focus on possible business progress. Although now delayed till after the summer, a meeting at minister’s level in the joint Commission for Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation is to be held.
“In connection with the presidential election in Russia in March and the following appointment of new government in May is Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergey Donskoy no longer member of the Russian Government. Consequently he is no longer the head of the Russian part of the bilateral economic commission”, says Political Advisor Hannah Atic with the Ministry of Trade and Industry in a comment to the Barents Observer.
“The Russian side has suggested to postpone the meeting until autumn and we have not yet been informed about who will be the new head of the commission on the Russian side”, Atic elaborates.
Awaiting new delegation head
She says the ministry will look at possible dates for the meeting as soon as a new head of delegation is appointed.
Donskoy was replaced with Yamal-Nenets Governor Dmitry Kobylkin in Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s reshuffled government.
If Kobylkin takes over the role as Russian head of the joint economic commission remains to see, but if so, he is in charge of some of the most important areas for cooperation between the two countries in the north; natural resources and environment.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: North American Arctic is failing compared to Russia, Nordics, warns think tank, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Quality key to Finnish food industry’s success in Asia, YLE News
Norway: Sanction-hit Northerners place hopes in Norway-Russia business talks, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Chinese drilling platform back in Russian Arctic, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Sweden reluctantly greenlights construction of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Radio Sweden
United States: US Gov preparing for oil exploration in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Public Media
