The Barents Summit will host top politicians of the Barents Region, among them Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev from Russia. Rafaelsen sees it as a unique opportunity to make historical decisions for this region.
“With a guest list like the one this meeting has, the politicians should be able to establish a broad platform for an even better Barents cooperation in the coming 20 years. Hopefully this meeting will also establish an even better joint management of the resourceful Barents Region”, says Rafaelsen.
Rune Rafaelsen is Secretary General of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat and has been working with Barents issues since it was established in 1993 and knows the history of the cooperation better than most people. The international focus on the north is higher than ever, and for Rafaelsen it is important that the neighboring countries in the Barents Region manage to work together in order to find the best solution for a continued growth in the north. Thus he has high expectations for the outcome of the upcoming minister’s summit.
“I believe this meeting will be one of the most important meetings in many years for the future of northern Norway”, says Rafaelsen.
The contents of the Kirkenes II declaration is yet not known, but it will point out which areas will be focused on in the years to come. To Rafaelsen the success of Barents lies in the participation and enthusiasm seen in ordinary people living in the region who cross borders.
“To achieve continous success for this cooperation we need Government politicians who focus on the strengthening of local and regional involvement in the international relations. This means that all obstacles for Barents enthusiast must be removed and visa demands must also be removed. The cooperation also has to be built on democratic values which promote a sustainable economic development which is in line with the demands set by the people living here”.
