Carl Bildt to attend ministerial meeting in Murmansk
Today, 15 October 2009, Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt will be in Murmansk to meet his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov on the occasion of Sweden taking over the two-year Chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council.
Photographer: Diana Janse/MFA
Barents cooperation was launched in 1993 by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the European Commission. A framework and network was thus created for cooperation with the common goal of turning the Barents region into a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable and competitive European region.
Barents cooperation is unique as it occurs on both an intergovernmental level and directly between the thirteen northern counties or regions. The Swedish counties represented are Norrbotten and Västerbotten.
During the next two years of its Chairmanship, Sweden will focus on creating an eco-efficient economy in the region. In a time of climate change and global economic downturn, awareness has been growing that these challenges are interlinked.
"It is clear how the environment affects the sensitive ecosystems in this region, and the issue of an eco-efficient economy is a priority for the Government," says Malena Mård, Head of the Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
The Barents region comprises the northern parts of Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Russia. This is a region rich in resources. Fishing, forestry and mining are all key industries.
"A large share of the countries' prosperity comes from the northern regions' resources, which should be used while respecting the principle of sustainable development," says Ms Mård, adding that mining and nickel smelting plants cause a great deal of pollution in the region.
During its Chairmanship, Sweden wants to highlight the region's potential for working towards an economy where growth, sustainability and measures to combat climate change are dealt with in an integrated manner. This is why energy cooperation and environmental cooperation within the BEAC framework are so important in enabling a regional and national transition to an eco-efficient economy.
