The Barents cooperation was formaly established on 11 January 1993, when the Kirkenes declartion was signed. The Barents cooperation is organized on two level. The Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) operates at government level and the Regional Council operates at regional level.
Russian Federation is the Chair for the period 2008-2009. The priority of the Russian Chairmanship will be to ensure sustainable development in the Barents Region with emphasis on social and economic factors, linking it closely to the compliance with environmental requirements, and also to support for the indigenous peoples, read more on the Russian chairmanship from here.
The purpose of the Barents Cooperation is to strengthen east-west infrastructure, establish people-to-people contacts and thereby contribute to the economic, cultural and social development of the Region. The Barents Cooperation promotes people-to-people contacts and economic development and creates good conditions for interregional exchange in many different fields; e.g., culture, indigenous peoples, youth, education, trade, environment, transportation and health.
The primary goal of BEAC is to promote sustainable economic and social development in the Barents Region and thus contribute to peaceful development in the northernmost part of Europe.
11th Ministerial Session of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council in Rovaniemi 15 November.
The future of Barents cooperation
At a previous BEAC Foreign Ministers meeting in Harstad 2005 Norway made a proposal about establishing a new International Barents Secretariat. The negotiations of the establishment of the secretariat have proceeded under the Finnish Chairmanship and a new International Barents Secretariat (IBS) will be established in the beginning if 2008. The IBS will provide continuity and stability to the Barents cooperation. It will also serve as an instututional memory. The IBS will be located in Kirkenes, Northern Norway.