Declared As Undesirable in Russia: "Must Make Difficult Considerations"

The Norwegian Barents Secretariat has for many years done significant work for people-to-people cooperation and cross-border contact with Russia. Since 2022 and Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, the focus has been directed towards cooperation in the northern Nordic region.

Linda Storholm.

The Norwegian Barents Secretariat navigates new challenges after being labelled 'undesirable' by Russia. But the organization, particularly tasked with promoting cooperation in the Northern Nordics, can still support projects with independent Russian actors, according the Norwegian government.

Hilde-Gunn Bye Hilde-Gunn Bye Journalist

Published 28 April 2026 - 09:34 Modified 28 April 2026 - 09:47

The Norwegian Barents Secretariat received a new assignment letter from the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development earlier this month.

The government stated that the Barents Secretariat, to the extent possible, can still support people-to-people projects involving independent Russian actors.

As HNN has reported, all activities with the official Russia within the Barents cooperation were suspended in March 2022 due to Russia's full scale war of aggression against Ukraine.

After this, the main focus of the Barents Secretariat's work was directed towards regional, cross-border cooperation with Sweden and Finland in the north, which is also emphasised in the new assignment document.

About the Norwegian Barents Secretariat

• The Barents Secretariat, located in Kirkenes, Northern Norway, has since 1993 supported Norwegian-Russian cooperation projects in the Barents region, including funding.

• After Russia's full scale war of aggression against Ukraine, all activities with the official Russia within the Barents cooperation were suspended. People-to-people cooperation with independent Russian actors continues.

• The main focus of the work at the Barents Secretariat is now directed towards regional, cross-border cooperation with Sweden and Finland in the Arctic.

• The responsibility for the Norwegian Barents Secretariat was otherwise moved from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development in 2023.

Undesirable organisation

The separate point in the document, regarding projects and cooperation with independent Russian actors, is therefore not new.

In both 2024 and 2025, the wording regarding support for people-to-people projects involving Russian actors was almost identical.

We need to take it seriously, what it truly means to be an unwanted organization

Kenneth Stålsett, the Barents Secretariat

New of this year, however, is the fact that the Barents Secretariat has been declared an "undesirable organisation" by Russian authorities.

The secretariat received the message that they were labelled as an undesirable organisation by Russia on 11 March. This news was first reported by the Independent Barents Observer. The background was, moreover, the claim that the organisation stimulates protest activity and promotes LGBT communities.

"It has taken some extra time to update the letter after the Russian authorities declared the Barents Secretariat as an 'undesirable organisation'," the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development states in the assignment letter.

Furthermore, the ministry points out that "consideration must be given to the risk that partners are exposed to as a result of the secretariat's new status in Russia. The secretariat must ensure that partners have made the necessary assessments of their own safety."

The Barents Secretariat is declared an undesirable organisation in Russia. This makes this part of the organisation's work particularly challenging, says managing director Kenneth Stålsett at the Barents Secretariat.

Challenging

"We need to take it seriously, what it truly means to be an unwanted organization. It is a status that not many organisations in Norway have, nor internationally", says managing director Kenneth Stålsett to High North News when asked about how the new status affects the Barents Secretariat's activities aimed at independent Russian actors.

"This is just a small part of our mission, which mainly concerns cooperation in the northern Nordic region, but it can have major consequences."

In light of the letter from the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, he does not hide that it may become more challenging to deliver on this part of the mission.

Stålsett points out that the Barents Secretariat has requested a meeting with the ministry for further clarifications.

"We acknowledge that this is part of the mission letter. So we need to have a dialogue with our partners. We have requested further clarification on what is expected, and how we should approach this so that we can be able to fulfil the mission that has been given", he says.

Must be careful

"We must at least be very conservative, responsible and careful in our approach to this type of funding. This is important until we know more", Stålsett emphasises and continues:

"We must prevent putting people in any form of unconscious or conscious danger, regardless of whether the individual or the organisation itself want to take that risk. This is not something we compromise on. So, we must be responsible in assessing the projects this may concern, consider case by case and see what is possible", he concludes.

Excerpt from the assignment letter:

The secretariat is asked to emphasise the following in the processing of applications involving Russian actors:

• It is a prerequisite for support that the Russian partner is part of the independent Russian civil society in Russia or in exile.

• Project support should be based on existing networks in the Barents region and known actors that the secretariat is well acquainted with. This also applies if such actors are in exile.

• Emphasis should be placed on the project contributing to maintaining or strengthening independent Russian civil society.

• It is positive if the project contributes to preserving or developing Russia expertise in Norwegian environments. The secretariat should keep updated on the political developments in Russia to be able to maintain the people-to-people cooperation.

If there is a need to discuss matters concerning people-to-people cooperation with Russia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be involved. This also applies to the secretariat's contact with Russian actors, and any other activity that affects the relationship with Russia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware that there is an increased risk of not achieving goals in people-to-people projects with Russia.