The Governor of the Murmansk Region Andrey Chibis held a meeting with the Consul General of Sweden in St. Petersburg, Jan Lundin. The parties discussed the prospects for cooperation between the Murmansk region and Sweden in various fields of activity, such as culture, education and science, economics.
Newly appointed to this post, Jan Lundin gets acquainted with the regions of the consular district, this is his first visit to Murmansk.
One of the goals of the visit was the participation of the diplomat in the opening of the international festival “Barents Bird”. Within the framework of the festival, guests from Sweden take part in the exhibition projects “Modern cities of the Nordic countries: ecology and sustainable development” and “Culture of everyday life: Recycle & Trash to Fashion”.
In addition, on November 19 in Kirovsk the X International Conference “Mining Industry of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region: A Look into the Future” will open, which will be attended, among others, by representatives of the diplomatic and business circles of Sweden. And on November 23, in the Murmansk Regional Children's and Youth Library named after V.P. Makhaeva will host an exhibition of Swedish literature for children.
In turn, Andrey Chibis told Jan Lundin about the development of the economy of the Murmansk region, about preferential treatment for residents of the Russian Arctic and the Capital of the Arctic, about environmental projects and the introduction of elements of a “green economy” in the Kola Polar region, such as the upcoming launch of the wind farm of “Enel Russia” and production of hydrogen on its basis. The Governor placed particular emphasis on opportunities for cooperation and exchange between the Murmansk region and Sweden in the field of higher education and science.
“Sweden is a long-term partner of the Murmansk region, we have extensive cultural ties. A separate area of cooperation is the “Kolarctic” program, which allows, among other things, to make roads on the territory of the Murmansk region. And, of course, the potential for cooperation in science and education, carbon-free energy, new technologies in the mining industry is enormous. First of all, we are considering the possibilities of exchanging and attracting scientific personnel from Sweden, joint educational programs - this is a special emphasis that is interesting both to us and to our colleagues. Interaction in this area will be intensified, as will the continuation of those joint projects that are being implemented today,” stressed Andrey Chibis.
The parties also exchanged views on the problems of combating the coronavirus pandemic and the development of tourism.
