More Worried About Putin Than the Security of Norwegian Citizens? Really? Comment: Altinget's reporter has visited Finnmark. The experience apparently made an impression. After the usual meteorological observations, as every capital-bound journalist must present after a visit to the North for some reason, she introduces claims that are completely removed from our reality in the North.
Norwegian Armed Forces and the Russian FSB Met for Border Cooperation Talks On Tuesday, the chiefs of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters and the Russian FSB’s Border Directorate for the Western Arctic Region met in Kirkenes. "This meeting activity is important as one of the very few remaining communication channels between Norway and Russia," says the NJHQ Chief.
Norway Plans to Establish State Preparedness Hub Near the Border With Russia: "An Important Measure" The Norwegian government wants to strengthen preparedness and state presence in Eastern Finnmark, Northern Norway, with a new hub. This will boost Norway's ability to manage crises in the High North, believes Professor Natalia Andreassen.
EU Visit to the Norwegian-Russian Border: “A Threat in This Region Is a Threat to European Security" A delegation from the EU Parliament's Committee on Security and Defense recently visited the Norwegian border town of Kirkenes to gain insights into the hybrid threat landscape. The committee chair emphasizes that the border with Russia is also the EU's Schengen border and that the threats in the North are a European matter.
The Border Municipality Is Fighting for Its Existence: “Anything Is Better Than Nothing” Kirkenes, Northern Norway (High North News): While the Norwegian government is rearming in the North and announcing increased military activity, local businesses are disappearing, and the population is declining, while top politicians are being flown in and out of the region with vague and sweet promises. "We do not need symbolic diplomacy," says the Mayor of Sør-Varanger municipality, that borders to Russia.
Arctic Military Leaders Met Near the Norway-Russia Border: Discussed Hybrid Threats Last week, the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable was held in Kirkenes, Northern Norway, focusing on grey zone threats. "It is important to create understanding among our close allies about how the security situation in the Arctic is perceived in a turbulent and uncertain time," says the Norwegian Armed Forces.
Swedish Company Buys Barel in Kirkenes, Northern Norway "It is very exciting that we can create engines for growth in Kirkenes that are attractive elsewhere in Europe," says owner and founder Geir Torbjørnsen, who is selling the tech company Barel to a Swedish investment company. The management and operations will continue in Kirkenes.
In an Abundance of Asian Tourists by the Border With Russia, PM Jonas Gahr Støre Appears Commentary: A nearly unpenetrable wall of Asian tourists meets me on my way into the reception at one of the overcrowded hotels in Kirkenes, Northern Norway. In a balancing act between rolling luggage as tall as their owners, I find the staircase leading to the second floor, where I meet Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
The Kirkenes Conference 2024: Discussing the Way Forward for the High North The geopolitical situation in the High North and changed border-crossing conditions are topics found throughout the Kirkenes Conference, which Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre opened.
Norwegian-Russian Battle of Wreaths During the Commemoration of Finnmark's Liberation Kirkenes (High North News): It became a battle of the wreaths on Wednesday, when Kirkenes commemorated the liberation of Eastern Finnmark on October 25, 1944. Shortly after Mayor Magnus Mæland (Conservatives) had laid down a wreath in Ukrainian colors by the monument, the Russian consul laid his wreath in front of the Norwegian one.
Claim Your Freedom, Kirkenes Commentary (Kirkenes): Sør-Varanger municipality is uniquely positioned in Norwegian foreign policy. It was when the municipality was lifted out of German occupation in 1944. And it is when Russia is waging a bloody war in Ukraine.
Norwegian Government Expects the Business Sector to Adhere to Sanctions The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent out a reminder about the sanctions which applied to Russian fishing vessels' port calls. Among other things, it is specified that only emergency repairs of Russian fishing vessels are allowed. This could severely affect one of the cornerstone businesses in the Norwegian border town Kirkenes.
Bordertown Kirkenes Terminates Russian Friendship Agreement A unanimous municipal council in Sør-Varanger chose to terminate its cooperation agreement with the Russian friendship city Severomorsk in Murmansk. The city is home to the Russian Northern Fleet and Sør-Varanger has previously been criticized for keeping the agreement after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
A Tour of Eradicated Russian Protest Art The center of the border town Kirkenes in Northern Norway has been transformed into a gallery of protest art originating from Russian streets. With their war and regime criticism, the original works were quickly removed by the Russian authorities, but live on digitally through the app of the art group Yav.
"The Constant Calls for Port Bans Causes Great Uncertainty for Our Operations" Continued debate about port bans creates significant uncertainty for Kimek in Kirkenes, Northern Norway. "The challenge is that some parties cannot let this issue go. It leads to uncertainty for our operations, our employees, and for the community here," says CEO Greger Mannsverk.
“No Difference Between the North and the South in Regard to Attitudes Towards Russia,” Says Researchers Kirkenes: New research findings debunk the notion that Northern Norwegians have other attitudes towards Russia than people in the south of Norway – and that they would thus be more naive when dealing with the neighboring country in the northeast.
“Sweden and Finland’s Accession to NATO Fundamentally Changes How We Think About the Defense of Norway” Kirkenes: "Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO will fundamentally change how we think about the defense of Norway and NATO in the north. Together we must rethink logistics and how we dispose of our forces," said Norwegian Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen. On Wednesday, he met chiefs of defense from Sweden and Finland at NATO's northern flank.
I Was Not Going to Kyiv, I Was Going to Kirkenes (Commentary) For almost 9 hours, the small Dash-8 plane fought its way through Northern Norwegian winter storms. Three of the said hours were spent in a battle from the plane's parking lot to a petrol pump a couple of tens of meters away. It would have taken me a shorter time to fly from Oslo to New York.
Powerful Opening of Barents Spektakel, One Year After the Invasion Kirkenes: Last Friday, in the Norwegian border town of Kirkenes, there was strong advocacy for Ukrainian freedom and for art as a point of contact with Russian regime and war opponents. Within this contact lies a vital fight against dehumanization and therefore against authoritarian Russia, says Director of the Fritt Ord foundation.
Barents Spektakel Raises Questions of Doubt and Trust Today – exactly one year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and breach of trust – Barents Spektakel commences in the Norwegian border town of Kirkenes. With the help of art productions, concerts, and debates, the festival will address difficult questions of trust and border-crossing cooperation in the North.
Keeps the "Bridge of Art" over the Russian Border Open Astrid Fadnes and her colleagues in Pikene på Broen continues the interaction with independent artists in Russia. "This connection through art provides hope on both sides. Both for individuals and for the future," she says.
With Russia on the Border: Is Splitting Troms and Finnmark Madness or Wise? Commentary: Russia’s attack on Ukraine has made western states crowd around international institutions. All over Europe, principles have to give way for a pragmatism adjusted to a new reality. In Norway, we take the opposite route. That is a poor reply to an aggressive and warring Russia.
The High North Tour 2021: Re-Opening the Mine in Kirkenes with New Owners Kirkenes: The iron ore mine in Kirkenes was a political tool owned and subsidized by the Norwegian state for a long time. Today however, a new initiative is coming up following the mine going bankrupt in 2015. In January this year, the Canadian American company Tacora Resources bought in as new main owner.
Maybe We Should Stop Nagging About Lack of Contact Between Norway and Russia? Kirkenes: For the fourth time in less than a year, foreign ministers Ine Eriksen Søreide and Sergey Lavrov met for political talks today. Perhaps it is time to put aside the constant nagging about lacking political dialogue between Russia and Norway.
A Good Meeting Between Norway and Russia Mixed With A Portion of County-Political Naivety At the time of writing, the hallways of hotels in Kirkenes are filled with security officers. In the air outside, seagull cries are replaced with the sound of helicopters. A king, a prime minister, a couple of foreign ministers from Russia and Norway, as well as a couple of defense ministers form the same countries, are heading to the High North border town.
A Strong and Important Commemoration of Norwegian-Russian Cooperation Moscow/Bodø: When Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov comes to Kirkenes, Norway next week, it is a representative who is constantly made better by his direct opposite in the White House, USA; Donald Trump. This is the rather remarkable truth when Norway meets Russia to commemorate the liberation of East Finnmark 75 years ago.
Fish, Missiles and One Spy-Convicted Retiree: Why Lavrov’s Trip to Norway is So Important It will be important to utter exchange polite phrases about whatactuallyworks in the relationship between Norway and Russia. However, when foreign ministers Ine Eriksen Søreide and Sergey Lavrov meet in Kirkenes in October, a series of serious issues are on the agenda.
Agreement on Arctic Railway Planning and Implementation: "What is happening today brings something new to the table" Finnish Bay Area Development Oy and Sør-Varanger Utvikling development company will enable and accelerate Northeast Passage related infrastructure development by providing modern railway connection from Finland to Kirkenes harbour. "What is happening today brings something new to the table" says Kenneth Stålslett, CEO in Sør-Varanger Utvikling.
Editorial: The Chinese Dilemma I just spent some days in China. Or rather; China came to me – in the form of the Barents Spektakel cultural festival in Kirkenes. For one week, the town on the border to Russia was turned into a Norwegian Chinatown. That is both impressive and a cause for further reflection.
Thumbs Down for the Arctic Railway The Finnish-Norwegian working group investigating the idea of an Arctic Railway have not found much to support such a railway, according to the working group report.
Lavrov Comes To Kirkenes It has been five years since Russia’s Foreign Minister last visited Norway. The Russian embassy now confirms that Sergey Lavrov will come to Kirkenes in relation to this autumn’s anniversary for the freeing of Finnmark.
