The High North Tour 2022 In the Shadow of War: “The Barents Cooperation was a Genuine, Honest Attempt”
Former Kirkenes Mayor Rune Rafaelsen. (Photo: Arne O. Holm)
Kirkenes, Norway: Rune Rafaelsen was awarded a medal for his work for friendship between Russia and Norway. A Russian medal. He has returned it. Friendship with the official Russia is shattered. As are decades of cooperation between people in the two countries. “But you cannot blame the Barents cooperation for that. It was a genuine and honest attempt”, says the former Kirkenes mayor.
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This article was originally published in Norwegian and has been translated by HNN's Elisabeth Bergquist.