– It is our responsibility to ensure that these riches contribute to the development of the Barents Region itself, by strengthening its position as a global centre of excellence in technology and know-how for sustainable raw material extraction, harvesting and processing, Carl Bildt stated.
– To maximize the potential of this fast-changing part of the world, and ensure that change is sustainable, our responsibility as politicians to foster co-operation and strengthen networks across borders is greater and more urgent than ever. To be successful, the Barents Council must work in equal measure to promote economic Prosperity, environmental and social Sustainability, and our common Security.
– The regions that make up the Barents region are not only enormously rich in natural resources, but also in human resources, knowledge and technological know-how. Norway will continue to encourage and support the multitude of activities and fields of contact between citizens in the Barents countries, concluded Jonas Gahr Støre. But concluded that one of the greatest achievements in the 18 years long history of the Barents Cooperation, is the normalization of human contact across the borders. The human dimension in the Barents Cooperation is therefore one of the prioritized fields for Norway’s BEAC Chairmanship, 2011-2013.