– This is not clear, says Ola Elvestuen (V) to news on Friday. Recently, several people have wanted clearer advice from the government about cooperation between Chinese actors and Kirkeneshavn. On Wednesday, they received an answer in the form of a press release from the government. But Elvestuen believes that the message is still vague. – What we need is a clear message from the government to the port board in Kirkenes that they should end their contact with Cosco, says Elvestuen. – Cosco is a state-controlled Chinese company, which is used strategically by the Chinese authorities. That is why it is a security risk, says Elvestuen. He is critical of the message from Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp). – If you take parts of what she says, it is clear, but it is wrapped up in a lot of words. When the reaction from Kirkeneshavn is that they are still wondering what to do, then this is not a clear enough message, he continues. Kirkenes looks to China The announcement from the government comes after the port of Kirkenes and Sør-Varanger municipality have been in dialogue with, among other things, the state-owned Chinese shipping company Cosco. Port manager in Kirkenes Terje Jørgensen interprets it as meaning that the government approves what he is working on. – It confirms that the line we have been on when it comes to the work to lay the foundations for a transshipment port in Kirkenes for goods through the northern sea route, can continue in the same way, says Jørgensen to news. Chinese companies should not become owners of a new port in Kirkenes, Terje Jørgensen believes. He says the talks with Cosco are about using the port. Photo: Knut-Sverre Horn / news According to the port manager, the talks with Cosco have centered on whether the company will use a future port in Kirkenes. Jørgensen is concerned that the harbor should have public Norwegian owners who can control traffic. – Cosco and Chinese players are after all on the ownership side of ports in Western Europe. They won’t be in Kirkenes if we get it the way we want, Jørgensen told news last week. Emilie Enger Mehl emphasizes that the port in Kirkenes is important for Norway’s security. – That is why it was important for the government to come up with a clarification after there have been many questions about China’s presence there, says Justice and Emergency Preparedness Minister Mehl to news on Friday. – We basically say no to Chinese investments in Kirkenes havn. If it is to be assessed, it must take place within a clear framework, says Mehl. The port of Kirkenes will build completely new facilities outside the city centre, so that the current port area can be used for other purposes. Photo: Knut-Sverre Horn / news Profitable route in the north Senior researcher Gørild Heggelund at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute explains in an interview with news that China has many interests in the Arctic regions, including when it comes to research on the environment and climate. For a shipping company like Cosco, a route to the West via Kirkenes can be very profitable. – You save a lot of time and money if you drive through the northern sea route instead of through the Suez Canal, says Heggelund. At the same time, security experts have previously warned against too much Chinese influence in the northern regions. – We consider it problematic if a large state-owned Chinese company establishes itself in Kirkenes. Both because of the strategic location and the general relationship with China, PST manager at the Kirkenes office Johan Roaldsnes told news in August. Security against development Enger Mehl says the government understands that the situation is challenging for communities that have lost income due to sanctions against Russia. – It is very demanding when considerations of national security come up against the possibility of local development, financial investment and other things that may be important for municipalities and companies, says Mehl. Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl at a meeting on security in Kirkenes in 2022. Here she is with Finnmark’s police chief Ellen Katrine Hætta and former PST chief Hans Sverre Sjøvold. Photo: Knut-Sverre Horn / news – At the same time, the government is clear that China must not be allowed access where it could be a security threat to Norway or where we do not want it. We must rather cooperate with China in other ways, where it is in Norway’s interest. The government’s statement comes just before Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre leaves for a visit to China. – Don’t wrap it up Ola Elvestuen thinks Mehl should have been more direct. – I miss her speaking clearly, so that Kirkeneshavn follows up on what must be the government’s position: That the contact Kirkeneshavn has with Cosco ends. – This does not have to be difficult. It’s just not wrapping it up in as many words as they do. Published 06.09.2024, at 18.00
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– Say clearly that Kirkenes will break with Cosco – news Troms and Finnmark
