Norwegian companies invited to Arkhangelsk
In this week’s Russian- Norwegian business conference in Arkhangelsk, general director of Sevmash shipyard Nikolai Kalistratov invited Norwegian companies to take part in the establishment of a new design bureau on offshore oil and gas facilities. Also enhanced cooperation within rescue training and tourism was proposed by regional companies.
The conference was attended by Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Elisabeth Walaas, who this week toured the Barents Region, starting in Murmansk and proceeding to Murmansk. Sevmash General Director Kalistratov in his conference presentation proposed the establishment of a new design bureau on offshore oil and gas facilities. This proposal, he said, has support from the federal level and confirmed that an official approval is already signed by the Vice-Premier Igor Sechin, the man responsible for military-industrial complex issues in the government. Mr. Kalistratov highlighted that the Zvezdochka shipyard has good experiences from cooperation with Norwegian companies, among them Aker. Mr. Kalistratov also stressed that such a design bureau could become the basis for the establishment of a Russian-Norwegian Technopark in Arkhangelsk aimed at development of offshore oil and gas technologies. Several other cooperation initiatives were presented in the conference. Head of the Arkhangelsk Regional Rescue Service Mr. Igor Polivaniy, offered to establish a Multi-functional Training Rescue Center in cooperation with Norwegian companies in order to accumulate Norwegian experience in rescue operations. Representative of the tourist company Intourist-Arkhangelsk Valey Sidorov said that his company this year will start a project on the development of events tourism in Arkhangelsk Oblast and northern Norway. This project has been granted funding from the Norwegian Barents Secretariat and has cooperative partners in the Norwegian counties of Troms and Finnmark. The Russian-Norwegian Business Conference was opened by the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Mrs. Elisabeth Walaas. Among the conference participants were over 40 representatives of Norwegian business companies. During her visit, Deputy Minister Walaas visited the Arkhangelsk Commercial Port and during the day she also met regional Governor Ilja Mikhalchuk and paid a visit to the Pomor University, the Arkhnagelsk State Technical University, the Norwegian-Pomor University Center and the local information office of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat. BarentsObserver Arkhangelsk
