In connection with the Norwegian Days in Arkhangelsk, Troms County and Finnmark County met in the County administration building in Arkhangelsk. At the meeting the two Norwegian Governors signed renewed cooperation agreements with Arkhangelsk, represented by its County Governor Ilya Mikhailchuk.
For 21 years the counties have been cooperating. However, both the regions and the relationship between Norway and Russia has changed a lot since the first treaties were signed.
- The old cooperation agreement was outdated and with this new agreement we can establish several new arenas for cooperation, said County Governor of Tromsø, Pia Svendsgaard.
The cooperation between Tromsø and Arkhangelsk has been most active within culture and health cooperation. Svendsgaard hopes for more active business cooperation with the signing of the new agreement. She believes the establishment of a new Norwegian Honorary Consulate in Arkhangelsk will be an important factor in facilitating more contact across the border.
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The new agreement runs for the 2010-2013 period and it is far more extensive than the old one. It is also more specific than previous agreements.
- Finnmark County will do its best to uphold the contents of the most extensive cooperation agreement ever, said County Governor of Finnmark, Runar Sjåstad before the signing.
Arkhangelsk Oblast Governor Ilya Mikhailchuk said in the signing that it is important that the cooperation in the agreement must find new arenas and contribute to lift the cooperation to a new level. He especially highlighted the importance of the delimitation agreement in the Barents Sea opening up for new cooperation between the counties and oblasts of the Barents Region.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre emphasised in his comment that Arkhangelsk is an important region for the regional border crossing cooperation in the Barents Region. He hopes the renewed treaty will be a vital factor in bringing more people together across the borders.
