Alexander Stubb, famous in the Barents Region for branding the north as the world´s most sexy region, is put on track to take over after Jyrki Katainen.
Oslo asks Moscow for an explanation after BarentsObserver earlier today reported that Russia’s sanctioned Deputy Prime Minister suddenly appeared on Svalbard.
Conservative leader Erna Solberg forms a minority government with the Progress party with parliament backing from the Liberals and Christian Democrats based on an agreement not to open for controversial Arctic oil drilling.
The Russian top presidential representative to the European Union, Mr. Sergey Yastrzhembskii, is leaving his Brussels post. Sources in the Foreign Ministry say the post will be eliminated.
After eighteen months of standstill, EU and Russia are again ready for talks on a new partnership and cooperation agreement. EU representatives yesterday finally agreed on the necessary negotiating positions.
Murmansk Oblast is one of the Russian regions most engaged in international cooperation. This week, the region’s legislative assembly made an important step towards enhanced political cooperation with neighbouring Norway.
In his meeting with the leaders of the seven Russian federal districts this week, President Dmitry Medvedev underlined the need for new mechanisms for training and hiring of civil servants. He also admitted that it is hard for the presidential administration to find suited candidates for the governor’s posts.
Over the last eight months more than 40 Russian town mayors have been forced to leave their posts. -We now see a new campaign against the elected leaders of municipalities, a researcher says.
Regional authorities in Arkhangelsk Oblast are ready to allocated 120 million RUB (3.3 million EUR) to two programmes on youth initiatives, one of them on the development of youth patriotism.
In his speech at the World Policy Conference in Evian, France, today, Russian President Dmitrii Medvedev said he supports the idea of creating a common economic space between Russia and the European Union.
EU chairmanship country France after yesterday’s meeting in the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council on foreign affairs confirmed that EU-Russian talks on a new partnership agreement will resume in in Nice 13-14 November.
Yury Yevdokimov’s chances to continue in the position as Governor of Murmansk Oblast are now zero and his removal is expected at any time, a high-ranking source in the presidential administrations told newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta.
