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.
With Vladimir Putin as Russias prime minister, the federal ministries are bolstered with a number of new powers, while agencies and services lose independence. Among the losers is the State Committee of Fisheries.
United Nations Convention on Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) has never been ratified by USA. During the Arctic Ocean Conference on Greenland, USA has given clear indications that they might change view on this issue.
Head of the Russian State Duma’s Committee of International Affairs says Russia and the EU will be ready to open up for visa-free travel in three years.
U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Barrack Obama calls for a review of Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organisation following the country’s intervention in the South Ossetia conflict this week.
Climate change is changing all the rules in the Arctic, a region which increasingly is becoming a scene of commercial and territorial conflict, the New York Times writes in today’s editorial.
-The strategic partnership of the EU and Russia has been based on common values. It is most obvious that we are not in such a situation now. We can still talk about common interests, but not common values, Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt says.
In a video address, Russian President Dmitrii Medvedev yesterday said Russia should do what it can to get maximum benefits from the world financial crisis. He believes the crisis can make Russia stronger.
EU Council President Nicolas Sarkozy in last Friday’s EU-Russia summit said that the two parts should elaborate on the possible establishment of a common economic area. In the meeting, EU also expressed openness towards the Russian proposal on a new pan-European security treaty.
During their meeting in Moscow today, the foreign ministers of Russia and Norway expressed their intention to strengthen cooperation in the Euro-Arctic Barents Council and the Arctic Council.
