Video: Cooperation (4:45 min)

The director of the Federal Frontier Service of Russia colonel general K.V. Totsky and the Governor of the Murmansk region Y.A.Evdokimov at the event of the grand opening of new car chekpoint "Salla'

The Murmansk region is one of the regions, where Russia has common board with European Union. Margin position of the region and essential export possibilities promotes the development of international and external links of the region, and first of all with the nearest neighbors Finland, Sweden and Norway.

One of the main directions of international policy of Russia on the North and West is the participation of the Murmansk region in cooperation of countries of Barents Euro Arctic region (BEAR). During two years the Governor of the region Y. Evdokimov has functions of the chairman of the Regional Union BEAR. New Barents program of activity by 2003 were prepared and approved at this period.

The Government of the Murmansk region highly appreciates joint work with Northern Norway. During 1998-2002 Ministry of foreign affairs gave move than 18 million Norwegian crones for the continuation of building and reconstruction of high way Prirechny - Nickel - MAPP "Borisoglebsk" for the provision of safe transport communication.

At the Russian Norwegian border functions modern international point of admission "Borisoglebsk", which costs 22 million Norwegian crones. Grand opening took place in January of 2003 at the presence of Prime ministers of Norway and Russia.

Interaction on questions on increasing of nuclear and radiation safety realizes quite successfully. On the territory of the region were realized projects with the total sum of 60 million Norwegian crones. On the 5th of November of 2002 grand opening of new administrative complex, which was made for works with irradiated nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes in Andreev Guba. Complex got the name of "Norwegian village", as the main building consists of 30 modules given by Norwegian firm UNITIM. There are apartments for the work of technical staff, medical apartments and radiobiological laboratory for the control for environmental condition and apartments for 24 hours group of workers.

Norwegian partners take part in realization of energy saving programs. Under the support of Norwegian energy center (Oslo) in Murmansk and Kirovsk were made centers of energy efficiency, which participate in realization of projects on reconstruction of systems of heat and electrical supply in the buildings of social sphere.

Cooperation in fishery complex develops actively. Two new Russian and Norwegian enterprises "Gigante Pechenga" and "Gigante Murmansk" were created. Under the financial support of Norwegian Government the program on modernization of production of plant "Pegenganickel" are conducted with the aim of reduction of discharge of hazardous substance to the atmosphere. In the autumn of 2002 new Russian and Norwegian project "Attraction of Norwegian investments to the Murmansk region" started, it is able to stir participation of Norwegian enterprises on the territory of our region, to apply efficient modern technologies, to develop subcontracted activity on the base of industrial enterprises of the region.

For the support of entrepreneur activity of Swedish firms in Murmansk Swedish center was opened, which presents interests of Swedish union of employers and Chamber of commerce and industry of Northern districts. In Luleo in its turn was created Russian center, the main aim of which is presentation of interests of the Murmansk region on the North of Sweden. As results of this interaction can be named the project of development of cooperation within electronic industry, realized by the firm "Micro-Makarna" from the Payola town and PC "Microtech" from Murmansk. Such industrial cooperation allowed to Russian entrepreneur to keep working places and to Swedish company to stir its production and increase competitive ability.

The Russian and Swedish enterprise functions successfully at deer breeding farm "Tundra". Here there was created the only in Russia modern workshop on deer slaughter on Swedish technology, which is certified by EU, that allows to export venison to EU countries. Swedish partners participated actively in realization of energy saving programs in our region. Since 1993 the projects financed by EU technical assistance programs (Tacis) are successfully conducted.

Since that time within Tacis program there were allocated 30 million Euro for the realization of 30 projects. At present 13 projects are realized on the territory of the region, 6 of them being quite large (up to 3 million Euro) and 7 small ones (up to 200 thousand Euro). Range of directions is quite wide, it includes energy supply, health care, protection of environment, nuclear security, tourism, social sphere. The biggest number of it realizes jointly with Finnish companies.

Within the program of "Northern measurement" the Fund of support of ecological partnership was created and was accepted plan of recreation of ecology of North and West regions of Russia with the total cost of 1.3 milliard Euro, including utilization of nuclear wastes (500 million Euro). International cooperation in the Murmansk region is not limited with the frameworks of the Barents region. On the results of 2002 года, enterprises and organizations of the region had foreign trade links with more than 60 countries. Foreign trade turnover made 867 million dollars.