Norway to Consider the Future of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council as Finland Withdraws
In October, Maria Varteressian (Labor), MFA State Secretary, spoke at the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik. (Photo: Trine Jonassen)
Finland recently announced its withdrawal from the Barents Euro-Arctic Council after 2025. "From the Norwegian side, we will assess the path forward for the council together with the remaining members," says State Secretary Maria Varteressian in Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) is the forum for intergovernmental cooperation in the Barents region, originally with Russia, Norway, Finland, and Sweden as 'core countries.' Other members include Denmark, Iceland, and the European Commission.
In March 2022, activities involving Russia were suspended in the BEAC and Moscow withdrew from the council in the fall of 2023.
The Barents cooperation was effective before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but no longer meets today's needs and creates overlapping structures, stated Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
"Finland's decision to withdraw from the Barents Euro-Arctic Council did not come as a surprise. However, we will take note of this and assume that the cooperation will continue in 2025," comments Maria Varteressian (Labor), State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to High North News.
Wait-and-See Approach
"From the Norwegian side, we will assess the path forward for the council together with the remaining members," Varteressian says and continues:
"We also have close and continuous contact with Norwegian regional actors in the Barents Regional Council. Both local and national ownership of the further development of our High North is essential."
The Barents Regional Council now gathers nine regional units and indigenous representatives on the Cap of the North. HNN has also talked to the leaders of the three counties in Northern Norway about the future of the Barents cooperation.
"I also wish to commend Finland for its efforts during the demanding time of its chairship in 2021-2023 and generally give thanks for excellent cooperation throughout the years. Our good bilateral cooperation continues along several paths. We look forward to further dialogue about meaningful avenues forward for both High North cooperation and other topics," maintains Varteressian.
