Working Group on Economic Cooperation (WGEC)

The importance of economic co-operation in the Barents Region was recognised already in the Declaration signed in Kirkenes in 1993. The Declaration points to the potential of improved cooperation in the form of trade, investments and industrial co-operation. The Working Group on Economic Cooperation (WGEC) seeks to promote economic development of the Barents Region through co-operation between the countries involved. The WGEC also makes efforts to make the economic potential of the Barents Region better known in Europe and the world and to facilitate trade in general.

The activities of the working group are presently being concentrated on the work to engage the business-life more deeply, particularly through the Barents Industrial Partnership meetings. There is a separate Barents Forest Sector Task Force  which reports to the WGEC. See the annual report for 2004  for more detail on WGEC and BFSTF.

The business life in the Barents Region  participates in the WGEC work through its advisory group, the Barents Business Advisory Group  (BBAG), which was formed in 2003. The members of the group are nominated by regional Chambers of Commerce and thus it speaks on behalf of the business communities in the region.

Norway holds the WGEC Chiarmanship for 2011-2013.

• Priorities for the Norwegian chairmanship of the Working Group on Economic Cooperation (WGEC) 2011-2013

Sweden held the WGEC Chair for 2010-2011.

• Working plan 2010-2011 (English)
• Working plan 2009 (only in Russian)
• Annual report 2008 (English, Russian)
• Documents  

Links

• Economy and Business in the Barents Region
• Barents Industrial Partnership meetings
• Barents Business Advisory Group 
• Homepage of the Russian Chair
• Economic crisis and Finland, Press release Bank of Finland 24.03.2009
• Economic crisis and Finland, Prime Minister Vanhanen’s Speech 19.05.2009
• Economic crisis and Finland, Press release Bank of Finland 09.06.2009
• Economic crisis and Finland, Economic Bulletin MFA Finland 16.06.2009
• The 2009 Spring Fiscal Bill - a responsible policy to secure welfare, Press release Swedish Ministry of Finance 15.04.2009 (Swedish, English)  

Members

Norway
Chair
Ms Vibeke Greni 
Deputy Director General
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Po Box 8014 Dep, 0030 Oslo
Tel. +47 22 24 66 37 
E-post: vgr@nhd.dep.no

Ms Anniken Mordal
Assistant Director General
Ministry of Trade and Industry
Po Box 8014 Dep, 0030 Oslo
Tel. +47 22 24 04 64
mor@nhd.dep.no

Sweden
Mr.Sebastian Stalfors
Regional Development, Ministry of Enterprise, Communications and Energy
103 33 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel. +46 8 405 24 70
Mob. +46 70 231 70 48 
E-mail: sebastian.stalfors@enterprise.ministry.se

Ms. Anna Carlsson Ministry of Enterprise
103 33 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel. +4684052391
E-mail:anna.carlsson@enterprise.ministry.se

The Russian Federation
Mr. Sergei Goncharenko
Deputy Director, Department of Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tel. +7 499 241 28 98
Fax +7 499 253 90 88
E-mail: des@mid.ru

Mr. Vladimir Karaoglanov
Tel.:+7 4992412898
E-mail: kva6464@mail.ru

Finland
Mr. Vijo Kavonius 
Tel.  +358 40019511
E-mail: veijo.kavonius@tem.fi