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Finland’s Chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council will continue with a focus on green transition and climate change

Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Publication date 9.6.2022 16.30 | Published in English on 9.6.2022 at 16.40
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Sustainable development, contacts between people, transport and logistics will remain as other priorities.

Senior Officials responsible of the Barents cooperation of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and the EU met under the leadership of Ambassador Jari Vilén in Ruka, Kuusamo on 30 -31 May 2022.

The meeting agreed that Finland’s Chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council will continue with a focus on green transition and climate change. Sustainable development, contacts between people, transport and logistics will remain as other priorities.

Following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, BEAC member countries and the EU have decided to suspend Barents cooperation with Russia, and the meeting in Kuusamo decided how cooperation between the other members can continue in these changed circumstances.

Ambassador Vilén says that the focus of cooperation is now on activities between Finland, Sweden and Norway. “Barents cooperation will now contribute to strengthening Nordic cooperation and bring it new content and resources,” Vilén says.

The conference held in connection with the meeting started the strategy work on a green transition in the Barents region. The strategy brings together the existing national and regional plans made in the northern regions of Finland, Sweden and Norway under one umbrella in order to establish synergies that would serve the special needs of the northernmost regions.

Established in 1993, the Barents Euro-Arctic Council aims to promote stability and sustainable development in the Barents region. The membership consists of the Nordic countries, Russia and the European Commission.

Inquiries

  • Jari Vilén, Ambassador for Barents and Northern Dimension, tel. +358 50 529 6321
  • The Foreign Ministry’s email addresses are in the format [email protected]
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