Mr. Zubkov said economic relations between the countries would experience a setback following the economic crisis, but underlined that the crisis must not make Russia and Norway back on cooperation, Rbc.ru reports. On the contrary, the two countries should step up cooperation, and first of all within energy, the deputy prime minister said.
In the course of 2008, trade turnover between Norway and Russian increased more than 45 percent to 2,29 billion USD. The two countries share huge waters in the Barents Sea and are both keen on the rapid development of regional hydrocarbon resources.
Russia highly values the stable and good neighbor relations with Norway, Zubkov said, adding that his country is ready for a further development of relations. -I am confident that our two countries have no other alternative but a close and mutually beneficial cooperation, he underlined.
Mr. Zubkov is today to participate in the Norwegian-Russian Inter-governmental Commission on Economic, Industrial and Research Cooperation
