Støre: Russia should give visa without invitations
Reciprocity was the keyword when Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre met with top officials from Murmansk in the Norwegian border town of Kirkenes.
Norway started to issue so-called Pomor-visa to Russians living in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions last year. Such multi-entry visa gives normal people possibility to cross the border without having any prearranged invitation.
- Since Norway issues visas without invitation, one must expect a similar offer eventually is given the other way also, Støre said in his speech at the Kirkenes-conference this week.
In the front row listening to Støre was Murmansk Governor Dmitri Dmitrienko, speaker in Murmansk regional Duma Yevgeny Nikora, Russian Ambassador to Oslo Vyateslav Pavlovsky and Russian Consul General to Kirkenes Igor Bulay.
Today, there are no ways Norwegians can obtain a multi-entry visa to Russia in the north without holding a prearranged invitation from a legal organization. As a result, far more Russians are crossing the border to Finnmark than Norwegians to Murmansk region.
Støre said he would discuss such obstacles for regional cooperation with Sergei Lavrov when they met in Kaliningrad on March 7th.
Speaking about Norwegian-Russian relations for 45 minutes, Støre gave several clear messages on future regional cooperation.
- If they (Russia) really want foreign investments and ownership in business, regional authorities should facilitate for this, Støre said, hinting that the opposite happens today.
- We must have an open dialogue on such questions, the Norwegian Foreign Minister said.
The Minister also highlighted corruption and constant changes in laws and regulations as main challenge that could hamper Norwegian investments in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions.
