Norwegian gas can meet Swedish ore

Upon arrival in Kiruna after the four hour train-ride, Carl Bildt said to BarentsObserver that this is a perfect way to arrive to a Barents Council meeting.

- Last time I and Jonas drove bus from Kirkenes to Murmansk for the Barents Council meeting, and this time we arrived by train. Maybe next time we could find a place where we can arrive by boat, smiles Carl Bildt.

Development of good infrastructure and communication links were highlights at Wednesday’s Barents Council meeting. The meeting itself took place way down in the underground mines where LKAB has created a visitor centre at 550 meters depth.

- Welcome to the underground mine. Here we are protected from whatever happens in the rest of the world, said Carl Bildt in his opening remarks.

The mines in the high north of Sweden is definitely protected from turbulence in the economy other places in Europe. While southern Europe experience dropping credit-ratings and high unemployment rates, LKAB are investing for billions of Euros and lack of work-force is seen as one of the largest current challenges.

Now, Norway and Sweden want to take the mining boom even a step further.

- Imagine the potential there is for connecting Norwegian gas with the mines here in Kiruna and develop new cleaner technology for processing the ore, says Carl Bildt.

Also Jonas Gahr Støre is enthusiastic about projects connecting the use of gas from Norwegian offshore fields with processing ore from Sweden.

- This is of course not for tomorrow, but let’s start thinking on how we in the Barents Region better can develop technologies for integrating the natural resources in the different countries, says Jonas Gahr Støre.

Read also: Natural and human resources in focus

Developing of technologies for better use of natural resources in the Barents Region was also highlighted by Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

- The Stone Age didn’t end because there was a lack of stones, Lavrov smiled. He suggested that creation of high-technology centers can develop the Barents Region as the smart part of Europe.

The four Barents Foreign Ministers all underlined the need for strengthening east-west infrastructure and railways.

- Most roads and railways go from the south to the north in the Barents countries. We need to support creation of east-west cross-border infrastructure, Støre said.

Sergey Lavrov included the sea transport into the talks of further development of east-west infrastructure.

- The Northern Sea Route should be integrated in Barents Region infrastructure development, Lavrov said.