– For us, choosing to freeze the agreement represents a hope that we will end the war and that we can talk together again. That’s what Bodø mayor Ida Pinnerød (Ap) says about the agreement they have with the Russian city of Vyborg. A number of Norwegian municipalities have sister cities in Russia. While Tromsø scrapped the agreement with its three Russian twin cities with immediate effect, Bodø wants to keep its. Alta, Harstad and Moss have chosen to do the same. Neither in Rana nor in Narvik have they concluded so far. Mayor of Vardø, Ørjan Jensen, had hoped that the authorities would step in and decide what the municipalities should do with the friendship agreements they have with Russian cities. Photo: Sidsel Vik Neither has Vardø. Mayor Ørjan Jensen hopes that the state will intervene so that each individual municipality does not have to make such a decision. – We have contacted the State Administrator about this. It is because we had hoped that municipalities would not have to deal with foreign policy. But that is what has happened now, he says. Some Norwegian municipalities with Russian twin cities Vardø – Arkhangelsk Tromsø – Arkhangelsk, Murmansk and Nadym (until October 26) Rana – Petrozavodsk Narvik – Kingisepp and Tosno Bodø – Vyborg Moss – Novgorod Harstad – Kirovsk Alta – Apatity Steigen – Podporozje in Leningrad Gildeskål – Lodejnoje Pole in Leningrad Vefsn – Volkhov – Turns political war into election campaign Arne O. Holm is editor of the newspaper High North News. He stands behind the statement to Jensen in Vardø. – Now we have a political war about how we should relate to the Russian people, entering an election campaign. He believes that such issues can create division in the municipalities that have Russian friendly cities. – One of the strengths of Norwegian security cooperation is the unity we have created in Northern Norway, which is so close to Russia. Arne O. Holm, editor of the newspaper High North News, says that the friendship agreements should initiate people-to-people cooperation, together with cooperation on research and culture. Photo: Bernt Olsen / news – What is the difference between freezing and ending a friendship agreement? – By freezing, you are sending a signal to Russia that it is not us who are closing contact with them. With the war in Ukraine, they are the ones who have closed contact with the West. But when we end friendship agreements, Holm believes that it is we who say that we want nothing to do with them. Tromsø municipality has received criticism for its decision to break friendship agreements with its Russian twin cities. In addition, they have encouraged other northern Norwegian cities to do the same. – By ending the friendship, we are giving a signal to the authorities that support Putin’s regime, says Tromsø mayor Gunnar Wilhelmsen (Ap). Gunnar Wilhelmsen, mayor of Tromsø, says that they froze cooperation with their Russian friend cities when the war broke out on advice from the Foreign Ministry. Photo: Veronica Turnage He says that they still operate people-to-people cooperation, but that they have broken friendships with Putin’s extended arm in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, among others. – We have a unanimous municipal council that completely agrees that this is the right choice, but continues the collaboration in the cultural school and the film festival, among other things. Fits into Putin’s history The mayor of Tromsø also agrees that it is not commonplace for municipalities like Tromsø to pursue foreign policy. – But we are in a situation where we believe it is important to signal to Murmansk, among others, that we distance ourselves from Putin’s war in Ukraine. Arne O. Holm is still not sure that this will make an impression on Russia. – But to the extent that it does, it is because it fits into the story that the West hates Russia. By instead freezing the agreements instead of terminating them, Holm believes that Norwegian municipalities can still help Russian opposition parties. Photo: EVN Holm believes that Tromsø, by ending its friendship with the Russian cities, is stigmatizing the Russian population, and its cooperation with Russian opposition parties. In addition, he points out that it is problematic that the municipalities have different opinions about the twinning cities. – Here, foreign policy varies from municipality to municipality. The Labor Party stands against the Labor Party in Tromsø and Bodø. At the same time, Holm points out that Norway as a nation has not canceled a single bilateral agreement with Russia since the sanctions started. news has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a number of questions about whether it is right to entrust foreign affairs about Russian friendship municipalities to Norwegian municipalities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not answered the questions, but writes this in an e-mail to news: – Norwegian municipalities are free to enter into and terminate such agreements on their own, but can of course contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if they want advice. news has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs these questions about Russian twin cities. Why has there not been a national strategy/guideline for municipalities and cities with twin cities in Russia? Is it right that the municipalities are now left to themselves to deal with foreign affairs? Why haven’t the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian authorities made the decision for the municipalities? What is the advantage of the municipalities being able to decide for themselves? What are the consequences for Norway of the choices that the municipalities make about keeping or discarding friendships with other cities? – The most important thing is to show resistance But even if the large cities of Bodø and Tromsø have taken a clear position on what they are doing with their friendly cities in Russia, there are still many municipalities and cities that are confused. Mayor of Steigen, Åse Refsnes, says that they have not decided whether to freeze or end the collaboration with Podporozje in Leningrad Oblast. Mayor of Steigen, Åse Refsnes, says that they have not yet decided whether to keep the friendship with Podporozje frozen or whether to end it. Photo: Synnøve Sundby Fallmyr / news – This is the situation now, it is frozen and put on ice, but we have not taken a decision on what we will do in the future. We have not made any decisions on that, she says. – The most important thing is to show clear opposition to what is going on and then we have to make ongoing assessments of how to signal it, says Refsnes. ALSO READ:
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Municipalities react to the fact that they have to pursue foreign policy when they decide on Russian twin cities – news Nordland
