On Wednesday, Norway, Russia, Finland and Sweden are scheduled to meet at the Church Conference. The organizer believes that such a meeting place is historically important now.
There have been no cancellations as a result of the development in Ukraine, says conference leader Guro Brandshaug to NTB on Tuesday morning.
This means that it is still planned for Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt (Labor Party) to meet Russia’s ambassador Tejmuraz Otarovich Ramishvili face to face in Kirkenes. NTB has not received confirmation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Huitfeldt can run.
According to the plan, the ambassador will read out a speech by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as well as participate in a panel with Huitfeldt and Matti Anttonen, State Secretary for Finnish Foreign Affairs. Finland on Tuesday confirmed that they are posing. In addition, there are representatives from, among others, the Russian business community.
– We want to say that the Church Conference is more important than ever, we are an area with low tension and good cooperation. So it is more important than ever that we actually meet here in Kirkenes and have a dialogue, says Brandshaug.
This year, the conference has received many corona cancellations. On Tuesday morning, there was hectic telephone activity in Kirkenes, but no one canceled due to the fact that Russia has sent forces into eastern Ukraine.
– Of course, it is the geopolitical situation that affects us the most today, the last 24 hours there have been the changes no one has hoped for it to escalate, Brandshaug says.
The Church Conference is an annual conference that has been held since 2008. It brings together Norway, Russia, Sweden and Finland.
Brandshaug says that interest in this year’s conference has been great in Russia.
– We have had challenges with the Russian delegation in the first place with regard to entry to Norway. We have low Russian participation this year due to the corona, but the interest from Russia has been good, says Brandshaug.
– We have not received feedback that the situation is different after yesterday’s events. On the contrary, we have been informed that some digital features will be broadcast live instead. There is absolutely good interest, says the conference leader.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced for some time that he will not be physically present at the meeting. He can also not participate via video link.
– It is the Russian ambassador who stands in his absence and gives Lavrov’s speech. He will also participate in a dialogue with Huitfeldt and the Finnish Secretary of State Matti Anttonen about precisely border cooperation, says Brandshaug.
From the Russian side, it is especially in border areas such as Murmansk that there is great interest in the conference. There is close cooperation between the regions, and Russians and Norwegians can cross the border freely as border residents.
– They have always had great interest in coming here to Kirkenes and talking about economic development, but also a people-to-people cooperation and diplomacy in a geopolitical picture, Brandshaug says.
The conference in Kirkenes is broadcast live online and is translated directly into English and Russian.
(NTB)
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