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Norway Offers Russia Free Economic Zone Deal to Develop Shtokman
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Murmansk on Thursday to start his Russian tour. The prime minister is to meet Russian officials and suggest a joint free economic zone for metal production and development of the Shtokman gas field.
The Norwegian government suggests creating a free economic zone in the Norwegian municipality of Sor-Varanger and Russia’s Pechenega and Nikel districts. Russia’s largest nickel producer Norilsk Nickel operates in the two regions. Airports on the Russian and Norwegian territories are also supposed to be part of the free zone. Two ports on the border are to be enlarged to make room for new power plants as well as aluminum and steel production facilities.
Norway pointed it quite clearly that the proposed free economic zone should cater for the Shtokman gas field, which would provide the border region with energy. Meanwhile, Norway’s Statoil and Hydro are still in talks with Russian Gazprom with a bid to provide equipment and technologies for the Shtokman project, the Norwegian prime minister said in Murmansk Thursday.
At the upcoming talks, Russia and Norway will also discuss the issue of the Arctic shelf as the two countries have been in dispute over bordering the area for 30 years.
On another note, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is to discuss in Moscow a new visa deal with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Fradkov to ease travel between the two countries. On Friday, Jens Stoltenberg will attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and hold talks with President Vladimir Putin.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of June 08, 2007
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