The Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) convened for its XVI Session under the chair of Russia on 18-19 October in Arkhangelsk. In a joint declaration, the Council recognised the importance of cross-border transport connections for economic development.
The foreign ministers support the development of railway
and road connections and cargo transportation, as well as high-speed data
connections in the Barents region. The overall goal is safer and greener
transports, technology development, and better cross-national information.
The Barents
region is the most densely inhabited and economically most active area in the
Arctic. In his statement, Foreign Minister Timo Soini expressed a wish for
intensified cooperation between the BEAC, the Arctic Council and the Northern
Dimension.
“We need to remember that we only have one
Artic. To make it prosperous, our policies need to be coherent. As the chair of
the Arctic Council, Finland has four priority areas: environmental protection,
connectivity, meteorological cooperation and education. Their relevance to the
Barents cooperation is obvious.”