OREANDA-NEWS. October 27, 2009. The Republic of Karelia has taken part in Murmansk International Economic Forum. On behalf of the Head of the republic Sergey Katanandov Karelia at the Forum was presented by official delegation led by the Minister of Economic Development Mikhail Yurinov. Representatives of business circles have also taken part in it.

Heads of federal authorities, enforcement authorities of subjects of the Russian Federation, representatives of diplomatic and expert circles, trading missions, heads of the largest Russian and international companies have been invited to take part in the Forum.

The main purpose of the Forum was organization of the all-Russian platform for dialogue of the leading representatives of business and authority concerning cooperation in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region in the new contex of stabilization and increase of competitiveness of national economy, under conditions of formation of the new center of economic growth in the North of Russia.

The first plenary session of the forum was devoted to the subject of the Barents Region as a unique model of cross-border cooperation. Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Governor of Murmansk area Dmitry Dmitrienko have taken part in the session.

Welcoming participants and guests of the forum, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov has noted that "international cooperation in the Arctic regions has been developing for a long time and has been successful."

Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the neighbouring countries have supported words of their Russian colleague. Thus, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Mr Karl Bildt has expressed a wish that Arctic becomes the cooperation ground for both northern countries, and for the world. Head of the diplomatic service of Norway Mr Jonas Gahr Store has reminded that "his country has been cooperating with Russia in the Arctic segment for already more than 20 years and this forum is an evidence of constant expansion of opportunities to discuss available tasks and plans of teamwork." Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Mr Alexander Stubb has admitted that "Arctic regions become very attractive in the world, and already long ago it has become a matter of internal, not external policy for his country."

Within the framework of the Forum issues of strategy of economic development of the North and Arctic regions in the context of the Concept of Social and Economic Development of Russia thought to 2020 were discussed. Urgent issues of safeguarding of Russia's national interests in the Arctic regions were introduced for debate: development of power engineering, aspects of nature management in the north, development of modern fishery and fish processing. Special attention was paid to the energy project of world importance which is development of Shtokmanovsky gas deposit.

Minister of Economic Development of Karelia Mikhail Yurinov spoke at the round table Frontier and inter-regional cooperation: Results and prospects of development held within the scope of the Strategy of Cooperation in the Barents Region Conference. The subject of his report was Experience and Prospects of International Cooperation between the Republic of Karelia and Nordic Countries.

Within the scope of the Forum Karelia has presented the regional stand at the exhibition Investment Projects of Regions of the Northwest Federal District of Russia.

At its stand the republic presented the following investment projects: construction of deep-water seaport in the city of Belomorsk (The White Sea Port Joint-Stock Company), organization of production of insulation veneers on the basis of basalt in the city of Kondopoga (Korund, Ltd.), expansion, modernisation of capacities and introduction of new technologies for production of fire robots (Engineering centre of fire robots FR), organization of production of energy-efficient heat-accumulating equipment on the basis of talcum peach, heat-resistant mineral from Karelia (Energoresurs, Ltd.).

The stand of Karelia caused significant interest. Representatives of authorities of regions of the Northwest Federal District, Russian and foreign companies, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, heads of consulates of Finland, Poland, the Netherlands got acquainted with projects.

During the exhibition there have been held about 40 negotiations on economic, investment, and tourist potential of the Republic of Karelia.