Press release 228/2013
27.10.2013
The 14th Ministerial Session of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) will be held in Tromsø, Norway, on 28-29 October. The Finnish delegation at the meeting will be chaired by Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.
In the Tromsø meeting, Finland will take over the chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council from Norway. The priorities for Finland’s two-year chairmanship will include economic cooperation, transport and logistics, the environment and climate change, and youth cooperation.
The themes of the Tromsø meeting include the economic development of the Barents region, human well-being and responsible exploitation of natural resources. Declaration describing the Council's work over the recent years and guidelines for future activities will also be adopted at the meeting.
Representatives of the provinces of Lapland, Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu; and the Sámi Parliament will also attend the meeting.
The Barents Euro-Arctic Council was established 20 year ago, and the members include the Nordic countries, Russia and the EU. The objective of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council is to promote stability and sustainable development in the Scandinavian shield area and the north-western regions of Russia.
Additional information: Marja-Leena Vuorenpää, Barents Ambassador, tel, +358 295 351 475; and Katja Kalamäki, Diplomatic Adviser to the Minister, tel. +358 295 351 780
Live broadcast from the ministerial session (starting on 29 October at 9 am): www.regjeringen.no
International Barents Secretariat: www.beac.st
Finland’s chairmanship website: formin.finland.fi/beac
