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.
“Gazprom and the government have long had a close relationship, but the revolving door between them is spinning especially fast this year: Medvedev, 42, replaces Putin as president; Putin becomes prime minister, replacing Viktor Zubkov; and Zubkov is expected to take Medvedev’s place as Gazprom’s chairman at a general shareholders meeting in June”, the International Herald Tribune reports.
Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb this week broke new ground when proposing that the country introduce visa exemptions for Russians. Finnish authorities however remain split on whether to ease visa relations with the big neighbour.
Governor of Murmansk Oblast Yuri Yevdokimov has appointed the 35-year old Vyacheslav Akatiev his new deputy with responsibility for fuel, energy and housing issues.
Russian Prime Minister and leader of the United Russia party, Vladimir Putin, is planning a series of visits to Russian regions to visit local party organisations. The intention is to make the regional United Russia representatives understand “the new role of the Party”.
A strengthening of cooperation is the way to solve Arctic controversies, Chairmain of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, Anton Vasiliev, says. He believes both the Arctic Council and the Barents Euro-Arctic Council play important roles in the region.
In a meeting with Norwegian prime minister Jens Stoltenberg this week, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso supported the Norwegian stance on the Arctic – no new international treaty on the region is needed.
