Finland: Siltanews – News Desk
Finland will withdraw from the Barents Euro-Arctic Council after 2025 and rather invest in other formats for cooperation in the North. The country now has an idea about designing a joint strategic agenda for the northern regions of Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Finland will leave the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) after 2025, but will continue cooperation in the northern regions through other channels, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Thursday.
The cross-border cooperation in the Barents region, established in 1993, has been affected by changes in the European security order and the international environment, the ministry maintains.
“Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Barents cooperation was an effective channel for Finland to interact with others in the northern regions. However, this form of cooperation no longer meets today’s needs, and it creates overlapping structures. Finland’s goal is a stable and prosperous Nordic region, and we will continue to invest in it through various forms of cooperation,” says Minister of Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen.
After the invasion, activities involving Russia in the Barents Euro-Arctic cooperation were suspended by Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and the EU – and Russia withdrew from BEAC in autumn 2023.
Following the end of Finlands ordinary chairship period 2021-2023, Finland, Norway and Sweden have acted as an interim trio chairship.
In March, Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide said that the BEAC could serve as a forum for strengthened Norwegian-Finnish-Swedish regional efforts in the north, but now that will not be the case.
As a consequence of the withdrawal from the BEAC, Finland will also withdraw from the agreement on the establishment of the International Barents Secretariat. On the basis of a motion proposed by the government, the President Alexander Stubb will decide on the issue on Friday.
Finland’s ambition going forward is to strengthen northern cooperation with Norway and Sweden within other frameworks.
“For Finland, maintaining close cooperation in the northern regions is even more important than before. The cooperation will continue with both Sweden and Norway and in international fora, such as the Nordic Council of Ministers,” writes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry specifically refers to the government’s ongoing work with a program to strengthen activity and security in northern Finland – where one of the ideas is to draw up a joint strategic agenda for the northern regions in Finland, Norway and Sweden.
The draft program is now being circulated for comments internally in Finland.