More money to Barents Cooperation

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affaires (MFA) yearly gives the Norwegian Barents Secretariat funds to be distributed to regional Norwegian-Russian projects. The sum has increased over the last years, and the increase continues also in 2008.

The total funds for this year is set to 34 million NOK (4,2 million EUR). About 600 000 EUR out of the sum will cover administrative costs for the running of the secretariat, as well as its three office units in Russia. In addition to the head office in Kirkenes, there are offices in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and Naryan-Mar.

3,6 million EUR
The remaining 3,6 million EUR from the MFA-funds shall as a whole finance new Norwegian-Russian projects. In 2007 the Barents Secretariat received 380 project applications, of which 197 was approved and received financial support.

– The increased funds from the MFA will give us the possibility to support more Barents projects than ever before, says General Secretary Rune Rafaelsen at the Norwegian Barents Secretariat.

Rafaelsen emphasises four sectors which he believes will dominate among projects in the coming year. The people-to-people cooperation has always been of fundamental importance in the success of the Barents cooperation, and Rafaelsen does not think this will change. BarentsKult is a new barentsprogram which will be launched quite soon, and it will have an important role in developing the Norwegian-Russian cultural cooperation.

Active Russians
Indigenous people projects are also an important priority. One interesting project which is currently in progress is privatization of reindeer management on Kola Peninsula. The petroleum activity in the Barents Sea is the fourth main sector which Rafaelsen predicts will have impact for the secretariat, as well as for the whole Barents cooperation.

Since the establishment in 1993 the Norwegian Barents Secretariat has supported more than 3000 different Barents projects with financial support. In total the secretariat has granted almost 45 million EUR in this period. One trend the employees at the Barents Secretariat have noticed over the last years is that the Russian part of project financing has increased steadily.

– This development shows that the Barents Cooperation has become a more equal project between the two countries, where Russians have a lot more resources to contribute in each project, says Rafaelsen.