Signed twin city agreement
During this week’s foreign ministers meeting in Kirkenes, the Norwegian and Russian border towns of Kirkenes and Nikel signed a twin city agreement.
During an official dinner in Kirkenes, the Foreign Ministers of Russia and Norway, Sergey Lavrov and Jonas Gahr Støre, signed the treaty which states that the neighbouring cities of Kirkenes and Nikel now are socalled twin cities. The Mayors of the Norwegian municipality of Sør-Varanger, Linda Beate Randal, and the Russian Municipality of Pechenga, Viktor Mavrin, were present at the dinner.
The Schengen-treaty opens up for twin city agreements as a way to strengthen cross-border cooperation between neighbouring cities along the Schengen border. Mayor of Sør-Varanger says to Norwegian Newspaper Finnmarken, that it is now time to involve businesses in the two cities in the process.
