Sundtoft was going to Moscow for a meeting in the Norwegian-Russian environmental commission, where she was to discuss pollution to Norway from Russia’s nickel industry in Pechenga with her Russian counterpart.
This was the first time a meeting in the commission was to be held on a ministerial level, Aftenposten writes. Meetings in the commission have always been held on a State Secretary level, and Norway saw it as a very positive sign when Russia last year suggested raising the meeting to a ministerial level.
Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg says to VG that the cancellation is a reaction to what the Norwegian Government believes is a violation of international law by Russia on Crimea. Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende on Tuesday condemned Russia’s annexation of Crimea, stating “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine must be fully respected. Norway will continue to view Crimea as part of Ukraine”, the Government’s web site reads.
Norway in 2013 spent NOK 28 million (€3.4 million) on environmental initiatives in Russia.
Border-close areas in Sør-Varanger municipality have the highest measured concentrations of SO₂ in all of Norway. The total emissions of SO₂ from the briquetting facility in Zapolyarny and the smelter in Nikel sum up to around 100,000 tons per year, about 40,000 tons from Zapolyarny and 60,000 tons from Nikel respectively. This is about 5 times larger than the total SO₂ emissions from all sources in Norway.
