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Norway plans to expand environmental protection cooperation with Russia

On the Kola Peninsula, Norway is involved in projects on nuclear and radiation safety, involving transportation and disposal of spent nuclear fuel from Soviet and Russian nuclear vessels

TROMSO /Norway/, January 23. /TASS/. Norway considers development of environmental cooperation with Russia as one of its priorities, the country’s new Minister of Climate and Environment Ola Elvestuen told TASS on Tuesday.

He is taking part at the Arctic Frontiers international conference in Norwegian city of Tromso.

"In our government platform we want in particular to have more cooperation especially in the North and the Kola Peninsula to find more environmental solutions there. There has been cooperation for many years on that and we will work more on it. Of course the Arctic council is also important for us. The cooperation in the Arctic is working and it is something we should build on," he said.

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Russia and Norway team up to clean Arctic of nuclear waste

On the Kola Peninsula, Norway is involved in projects on nuclear and radiation safety, involving transportation and disposal of spent nuclear fuel from Soviet and Russian nuclear vessels. Currently this spend fuel is stored on the territory of the former coastal base of the Soviet Navy in Andreeva Bay, 60 km from the Norwegian border.

Elvestuen, who was appointed the Minister of Climate and Environment last week, also stressed that Norway, Russia and other countries that signed the Paris agreement on climate need to work together actively to implement its provisions.

Tromso hosts the Arctic Frontiers conference from January 21 till January 26. This conference is held in the Norwegian Arctic since 2007. This year 3,500 politicians, businessmen and scientists from 35 countries take part in it. According to the conference’s website this year the Arctic Frontiers Policy program has five main sessions with the following tentative working titles: State of the Arctic, Technology and connectivity, Resilient Arctic societies and business development, Healthy and productive oceans, Industry and environment.

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