“Norwegian companies in Murmansk have a long-term focus, they know the market and the region and have all it takes to succeed,” says Morten Brugård, Adviser for Innovation Norway’s new fund for supporting Norwegian businesses in Russia.
In total, NOK 150 million (€18 million) are available via the fund over the next five years. It is Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that via its Barents-2020 financial program for activities in the north has granted for promoting Norwegian businesses staking in the High North.
In Murmansk, Norway’s Consulate General coordinates a group of different stakeholders named “Team Norway” with the aim to exchange information and take advantage of the different experiences from key players.
“It is important that businesses and people-to-people cooperation continue as far as possible despite times of trouble,” says Consul General Ole Andreas Lindeman. He underlines that engaging Russia is still important for Norway.
Over the last ten years, public financing of Norwegian economic projects in the Russian part of the Barents Region counts for €24 million, according to a study made by Akvaplan-Niva in cooperation with Barents Center. The study concludes that Norway is “best in class” on public financial support when foreign enterprises enters Northwest-Russia.
At a breakfast meeting arranged by the Consulate General last week, the recent cooling in east-west relations was naturally high on the agenda. “Dramatic events take place in the world and the consequences will inevitably affect Russia’s relationship to other countries, and thereby our bi-lateral contacts established over the last 20 years, although Norway will always aim at being a predictable and pragmatic neighbor for Russia,” says Ole Andreas Lindeman.
Governor Marina Kovtun has called off participation in a huge Murmansk business delegation to Oslo supposed to start on Tuesday this week. Instead, a Vice-Governor will head the delegation.
Nearly 30 participants from Norwegian businesses participated at Team Norway’s breakfast last week. Several of the businessmen involved in cross-border trade and economic cooperation for years, voiced their concerns with a clear message to Norwegian authorities to calm down. EU’s wording and sanctions against Moscow got little support among the Norwegian companies trading with, or based in Murmansk.
Oslo has decided to follow the same sanctions against Russia as the European Union, with freezing bank accounts and denying visas to a list of top officials in Moscow and on Crimea. Foreign Minister Børge Brende also condemned President Vladimir Putin’s announcement last week when Russia was annexing Crimea. Norway still views Crimea as part of Ukraine.
