Norway is the only foreign country to have an honorary consulate in Arkhangelsk, a town with 350.000 inhabitants on the shores of the White Sea. Arkhangelsk is expected to play an important role in shipping and logistics in the future.
Arkhangelsk will also be home to Norway’s only honorary consulate in Russia. The kingdom of Norway has general consulates in St. Petersburg and Murmansk besides the embassy in Moscow.
The official opening will be done by Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Governor of Arkhangelsk Oblast Ilya Mikhailchuk. Norway’s Amassador to Russia Knut Hauge and General Consul in Murmansk Jon Fredriksen will also be present.
Nearly 200 Norwegian and Russian guests are invited to the opening ceremony and the following reception, hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Head of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat’s offices in Russia Andrey Shalyov is appointed honorary consul, and the honorary consulate will therefore be co-located with the Norwegian Barents Secretariat’s new offices on the Pomorskaya street in the center of Arkhangelsk.
