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Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Russian President Vladimir Putin
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Moscow is very sympathetic towards the new Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. The positive, from the point of view of the Russians, experience of his previous cadence as a Premier in 2000-2001 is not forgotten. The Kremlin especially hopes to use the new Norwegian government as the lever of pressure on the Baltics in the issue of the Russian-speaking minority.
The Problematic Neighbourhood
The relations between Russia and Norway have undergone significant metamorphosises in the XX century. Russia was the first country which recognized the independence of Norway in 1905. Then Norway has answered this jesure by being the first to recognize the Soviet Russia. During the "Cold war" Moscow and Oslo for many times accused each other of animosity that has been caused by the introduction of Norway into NATO (1949) and exposure of the activity of the KGB in this Scandinavian country. However, there were no real serious reasons for confrontation between two countries. During the WW II the Norwegians actively struggled with the German occupation and consequently positively saw the Soviet Union, which released the northern territory of Norway from the German army. Special warming in relations has come under Nikita Khurshev's rule as he personally visited Oslo in 1964. It is known about "the special channel" of dialogue between Khurshev and the Prime Minister of Norway Einar Gerhardsen which was carried out through the employee of the Soviet embassy and the officer of the KGB Viktor Grushko.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Norway was the initiator of expansion of regional cooperation with Russia. In January, 1993, under Thorvald Stoltenberg's (father of Jens Stoltenberg) initiative, organization of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region (BEAR) members in which became Norway, Russia, Sweden and Finland was created. The purpose of the organization was tightening of regional cooperation in such areas as preservation of the environment, public health services, education, transport, trade, science and culture. Signing of the agreement on creation BEAR took place in the Norwegian city of Kirkenes located near to the Russian border.
And still, despite the aspiration of the Norwegian side to conduct a dialogue, a lot of problematic questions of mutual relations were not solved during the last 15 years. First of all, there is the question of the so-called "Gray Zone" in Barents Sea, where there is no precise border between Norway and Russia marked till today. The Norwegian fishery - the second on importance after the oil article of the national income suffers from that. For the last time this question was discussed in the beginning of August, 2005, during the visit of the Minister of Agriculture of Russia Aleksey Gordeev to the Norwegian capital.
The status of Shpitsbergen Archipelago (Svalbard in Norwegian) is also not determined finally. Between both countries there are constant disagreements concerning fishing activity in the nature-conservative zone around of Shpitsbergen. The Russian consulate, the Russian coal mining company "Arcticugol" operate there, and couple hundreds of the Russian citizens live on the Archipelago. The uncertain status of the islands prevents also to use the rich stocks of oil and the gas which has been found out in the sea shelf.
The Norwegians care of the ecological condition of the Barents Sea is also an issue. They are worried with the Russian plans of laying of the Russian oil pipeline to the West and Northwest through the Northern Sea, construction of the oil terminals in the Russian cities of Primorsk and Murmansk. Under the initiative of Norway, Northern Europe tries to use the levers of pressure of the European Community to declare these strategically important regions for Russia a "sensitive ecological zones" and to forbid construction of harmful manufactures there. Simultaneously, the Norwegians invest in development of the Russian regions ($100-150 million annually), investing mainly in the reconstruction and rebuilding of the most harmful Russian facilities in proximity of their border. The best example is the mining industrial complex in the settlement Nickel (Kola peninsula). This facility was polluting the Norwegian territory for years, transforming it into "a lunar landscape". In this connection it is necessary to mention also the participation of Norway in the recycling of the old Russian nuclear reactors, nuclear submarines, submerging of which it tries to prevent, assignment for safe storage for the exausted nuclear fuel and radioactive waste products.
The Commercial Interest
In parallel, the Norwegians also are conducting vigorous commercial activity in the territory of Russia. As against the other countries they are much more resolute in the investment policy. In 2003 the Norwegian concern " Telenor " allocated $350 million in development of the telecommunications in Northwest of Russia. It became one of the largest foreign investments in the Russian market. The same concern bought 25 % of shares of the Russian "Vympelcom" telecommunication Company for $160 million and invested additional $120 million dollars in "Cominkom-Combelga" Company.
The investments into telecommunications is a part of the plan on development of the Russian North, as in the opinion of th
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The logo of the "Hydro"
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e Norwegians its modernization is needed for strengthening cooperation with the region.
In this connection it is necessary to mention the activity of the "Hydro" oil-and-gas concern – the largest in Europe. It buys huge quantities of raw material in Russia and provides thus half of all Russian - Norwegian commodity circulation. This global giant of the oil-and-gas business with representations in Moscow and Murmansk, owning 9 deposits outside Norway, has licenses for development of the Russian deposits. For example: there is an agreement with Gazprom and Statoil on joint development of oil resources of Timano-Pechora area, which was signed in 1998. Currently "Hydro" owns a 40 % share of Haryachinsky deposit in the Timano-Pechora area, extracting 10 thousand barrels daily. And it is far from being a limit. Gas, nonferrous metallurgy, nitrogen too are extracted in joint projects. The "Hydro" concern shows interest in the Barents Sea, expressing desire to take part in the development of the Stockman gas-condensate deposit. And there, in the Arctic shelf, is, as is known, untouched huge oil-and-gas stocks. The status of a shelf is still a subject of a dispute between Russia and Norway. However, Russia suggests beginning joint development of a shelf, without waiting for the delimitation of the territory. Sergey Lavrov informed his Norwegian colleague about this in 2004. "Hydro" owns a unique technology of underwater industrial platforms and drilling of deep horizontal wells.
The Peaceful Viking
Moscow is obviously sympathetic towards the new Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. The Russians recollect positive, from the point of view of Russian, experience of his previous cadence as a Premier in 2000-2001. For example, Stoltenberg was one of the first to offer aid of his country in a rescue of the Russian nuclear submarine "Kursk". Under his rule effective interaction of the Norwegian and Russian diplomats in Security Council of the United Nations has been organized. Especially productive this cooperation was in the Iraqi issue in which both countries took similar position during that moment. The Kremlin did not overlok the visit of Stoltenberg to Russia in June, 2001. The Norwegian Prime Minister shown pragmatism at that time during the discussions of the issue of the Barents Sea though he did not agree with the Russian position on Shpitsbergen.
The culmination moment of that visit became the statement of Stoltenberg that cooperation between his country and Russia has never reached such a high level as it is now and that he is personally ready to put maximum efforts for its further development. Another his statement on necessity of cessation of work of the American Radar station "Globus-2" in case it carries out intelligence collecting mission was perceived as sensational. Extatic Russian media even named Stoltenberg "The Peaceful Viking ". The "Globus-2" station is located in Norwegian city of Vardo, near the Russian border, and it is a part of new American global system of antimissile defense. The Russian side repeatedly raised a question on its closing.
After the reports on Stoltenberg's victory, the Russian diplomatic circles have expressed their satisfaction with this fact. The Russian diplomats mark his positive attitude towards Russia, and also express hope in his ability to find common language with the new Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko. The son of the abovementioned Viktor Grushko, was born in Norway in the middle of the Fifties - almost like Stoltenberg. In the beginning of September, 2005 he was appointed to the post of the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, responsible for development of relations with Europe.
What the Coalition Will Say…
The sources in Oslo note that the new Prime Minister will not be completely independent in the issues of foreign policy including those concerning Russia, and appears compelled to reckon with his partners on the coalition. In this connection my interlocutors have noted that between the Labor party (Det Norske Arbeiderpartiet - DNA), Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti - SV) and Centre Party (Senterpartiet) still there are some serious disagreements in the questions of external and internal policy.
For example, Stoltenberg always supported closer cooperation of the country with NATO and considered necessary the introduction of Norway into the European Union. The Socialist Left Party, on the contrary, is the opponent of membership of Norway in these organizations. The majority of the members of the Centre Party also act as "eurosceptics", considering a priority to protect the Norwegian farmers against the expansion of cheap agricultural production from the countries of the European Community.
My Norwegian interlocutors have emphasized, that Russian diplomats perfectly know about these distinctions of positions in the ranks of a "Red - Green" alliance. In their opinion, Moscow can use this circumstance, and also the aspirations of the large Norwegian firms on the Russian market, in their game aimed to split the European unity. The Kremlin especially hopes to use the new Norwegian government as the lever of pressure on the Baltics in the issue of the Russian-speaking minority.
Related items:
THE NORWAY'S ELECTIONS: The Victory of a "Red - Green" Alliance (18.09.2005)
Alexander Grushko - The Son of 'European mafia's' Godfather (14.09.2005)
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