Moscow postpones ministerial business talks with Norway

Low volumes of trade and little cross-border investments, though, Russia and Norway still keep focus on possible business progress. Although now delayed till after the summer, a meeting at minister’s level in the joint Commission for Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation is to be held.

«In connection with the presidential election in Russia in March and the following appointment of new government in May is Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergey Donskoy no longer member of the Russian Government. Consequently he is no longer the head of the Russian part of the bilateral economic commission,» says Political Advisor Hannah Atic with the Ministry of Trade and Industry in a comment to the Barents Observer.

«The Russian side has suggested to postpone the meeting until autumn and we have not yet been informed about who will be the new head of the commission on the Russian side,» Atic elaborates.

She says the ministry will look at possible dates for the meeting as soon as a new head of delegation is appointed.

Donskoy was replaced with Yamal-Nenets Governor Dmitry Kobylkin in Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s reshuffled government.

If Kobylkin takes over the role as Russian head of the joint economic commission remains to see, but if so, he is in charge of some of the most important areas for cooperation between the two countries in the north; natural resources and environment.

ADVERTISEMENT