Nordic Cooperation with Russia for 2006-2008

The Nordic Council of Ministers believes that the process of change in Russia is of crucial importance for the Nordic countries. Two of the Nordic countries share important borders with Russia. The Baltic Sea and the Barents Sea join all the Nordic countries with Russia.

Historically, relations with Russia have been directly decisive for stability and development in the Nordic region.
In 1995 The Information office of the Nordic Council of Ministers was opened in Saint-Petersburg. Moreover, Info Points were opened in Petrozavodsk, Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. In Kaliningrad the Information office of the Nordic Council of Ministers was opened in 2006.

Today the Nordic governments have a strong will to develop and extend these historic relations to create growth and stability in the North of Europe. For this reason the Nordic Council of Ministers has earmarked approx. 15-20 per cent of its annual budget for co-operation with Russia.

Co-operation takes place partly within the 10 councils of ministers, partly within the framework of the activities of the Nordic institutions and partly through the Nordic Ministers for Co-operation.

Guidelines for the Nordic Council of Ministers’ cooperation with North-West Russia for 2009-2013 can be found here.

Edited September, 2009

News

14/05/2010

Nordic interest in Russia

15 MPs from the Nordic Council are heading for the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions of Russia on 16 May. The politicians will meet their Russian colleagues and learn more about the challenges facing the two Russian regions.

Sinikka Bohlin,
photo - Magnus Fröderberg/norden.org
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16/04/2010

Study visit to Denmark

A group of specialists from 9 municipalities of the Kaliningrad region is leaving for Denmark on 17 April 2010 to visit 6 Danish municipalities and to study experiences of Nordic countries on business development issues, municipal support of entrepreneurs, public-private partnership and companies’ staff upgrading.

photo - Nikolaj Bock, www.norden.org
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26/03/2010

Attitudes are what have to change in order for accessibility to be achieved

There is a great deal of interest among the Russian and Baltic participants on the course in Universal Design that begun on Monday at the Nordic School of Public Health (NHV). The discussions during lectures are lively and questions posed many from participants representing various sectors and agencies.
– The problem is to change attitudes so that those working for public institutions accept that these should be accessible for all, rather than it being an issue of lack of funding, says Andrey Zonin, Director for the Institute for Cultural Programs in St. Petersburg.
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