Norwegian-Russian summit in the north
Lieutenant General Yngve Odlo, Chief of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters, met this week with Lieutenant General Stanislav Vladimirovich Maslov, Chief of the FSB's Border Directorate for the Western Arctic region.
The protocol meeting was conducted on board a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel in the Sør-Varanger municipality in Norway on 5 October. The municipality is Norway's border to Russia.
The Russian delegation that attended the protocol meeting was from the Russian Federal Security Service's (FSB) Border Directorate for the Western Arctic region.
Good dialogue
The Norwegian delegation consisted, in addition to the Chief of the Norwegian Joint Headquarters (NJHQ), of representatives from the Norwegian Coast Guard, the Norwegian Border Commissioner, and the Norwegian Defence Attaché in Moscow.
The meeting was characterised by good dialogue and professionalism from both sides.
"It is important to conduct these meetings to discuss challenges and agree on common objectives and necessary measures regarding border cooperation, rescue cooperation, and fisheries management," says NJHQ Chief, Lieutenant General Yngve Odlo.
He emphasises that it is crucial for both nations to keep this channel open for communication.
"It can prevent accidents and misunderstandings between Norway and Russia," says Odlo.
Constructiveness and agreement
The discussions and professional conversations during these meetings have always been perceived as constructive from the Norwegian side. They discuss specific issues related to common challenges in border cooperation, rescue cooperation, and fisheries management.
There is still an agreement between the delegations that the challenges in the Barents Sea, the Norwegian Sea, and the land border must be resolved through open communication channels and a continuation of the agreements made between Norway and Russia.
Background
Cooperation on the Norwegian-Russian border is based on the border agreement between Norway and Russia from 29 December 1949. It is, therefore, a historically anchored cooperation characterised by an open and good dialogue between the border guard forces and the Norwegian and Russian Border Commissioners.
The Norwegian-Russian fisheries cooperation dates back to the mid-1970s and is based on Norway and Russia (then the Soviet Union) managing shared resources in the Barents Sea. However, it was through the establishment of an annual joint search and rescue exercise between our two countries in the late 1980s that the foundation for today's extensive and good cooperation between the Norwegian Coast Guard and the Russian Coast Guard was established.
