On his first official visit to Russia as Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg visited Storskog border station on June 6th, 2007. Speaking to Norwegian journalists at the border station, Stoltenberg said then that he promised that the opening hours for the Norwegian – Russian border will be extended with three hours, and be open from 6 am to 23 pm (Norwegian time). The interview was published both by the Norwegian newswire NTB and the national public radio NRK.
On the 25th of June 2007 the Norwegian Foreign Ministry sent a note to the Russian Foreign Ministry informing that Norway was ready to extend the opening hours already from July 2nd the same year. Later, Norway has raised the issue regarding the opening hours on several occasions. Last June, both Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Russia’s Sergey Lavrov visited both Storskog border station and the nearby Russian station at BorisGleb. Both agreed in principal again that the opening time should be extended.
Answering a question from a member of the Norwegian Parliament in April last year, Jonas Gahr Støre said the question regarding the border stations opening hours was awaiting a suggestion from the Russian side about a new agreement for border station upgrade.
Today, two years after Jens Stoltenberg first agreed with Russian authorities about the issue, Storskog border station still has the same limited opening hours from 7 am to 21 pm.
Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg visits the nearby border town of Kirkenes today, but this time he will not visit the border station.
