Regional cooperation of the Republic of Karelia

Regional Euro Karelia
Barents Regional Euro-Arctic Council

The Barents Euro-Arctic Region (hereafter BEAR) covers counties of the Nordic countries and some of the subjects of the Russian Federation which have a territory north of the Arctic Circle. The region thus consists of the counties:
- Nordland, Troms and Finnmark in Norway
- Norrbotten and Vasterbotten in Sweden
- Lapland Province and Kainuu in Finland
- Arkhangelsk and Murmansk Oblasts, the Republic of Karelia, Komi Republic, and Nenets Autonomous Okrug in Russia.

Map of the Barents Region 

Geographically BEAR forms a natural link between the northern parts of Europe and Russia. BEAR is the region where the European Union (EU) borders Russia. On 11th January 1993 a common multilateral co-operation within the region of the Barents Sea was formalised by the establishing of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, and also a co-operation agreement - "The Kirkenes Declaration" - was signed by the Foreign Ministers of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia as well as representatives of Denmark, Iceland, and the European Union. The signing was also attended by observers from the USA, Canada, France, Japan, Poland, Great Britain and Germany.

Together with The Kirkenes Declaration, regional co-operation agreement was signed between counties of the Nordic countries and subjects of the Russian Federation joined BEAR as well as a representative of indigenous people. The Republic of Karelia joined BEAR in April 1993. Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) got a statute of separated member of BEAR in May 1996 (earlier NAO was included in BEAR as a part of the territory of Arkhangelsk Oblast).