МурманшельфИнфо. 2009, N 5.

- What conditions are necessary to make the project of Pomor Zone a success? - Pomor Zone Project is at the stage of conception. Up to the present moment we can not notice significant success in project elaboration, nevertheless both parties are interested in its development. As you probably remember, the idea of the Pomor Zone creation was submitted for approval to the Government of Norway in September 2007 in the Report “Barents 2020”, prepared by the former Statoil CEO Arve Johnsen together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway. In the Pomor Zone it is supposed to unite the opportunities of border areas of Finnmark and Pechenga (Murmansk region). The essence of the project is to create in the area of Jarfjord (Norway) and Pechenga Guba (Murmansk region) two industrial enclaves. One of the main functions of the Pomor Zone can be efficient supporting of logistic activity, connected with oil and gas survey, field infrastructure development and exploitation of oil and gas units both in the Barents Sea and on shore. This logistic centre should be able to maintain oil and gas development both on the Norwegian and Russian shelves. Another main function of the project is industrial activity, based on the use of energy resources of the Barents region and other raw materials, extracted in the region, to turn out value added products. Taking into consideration gas resources in the Pomor Zone it is supposed to develop steel casting production – steel production with the low level of carbon dioxide burst. The issue of creation of the Pomor Zone is by far not an easy one and it should be solved on the state-by-state basis. Having achieved political arrangements between Norway and Russia, both parties can unite efforts and resources and avoid spending financial means for doubling infrastructure. Creation of such industrial and economic zone, not having any analogs, will need elaboration of special political and legal mechanisms – another taxation system, regime of relief from customs duty, common rules of registration of business, streamline proceeding of crossing the border and registration of labor force. Therefore, on the first stage it is necessary to sign interstate agreement between Russia and Norway, and afterwards will follow the development of the whole range of legislative and regulatory acts on the federal level. Open dialogue on the Pomor Zone issue continues with the Norwegian partners both on the federal and on the regional levels. In October 2007 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation consultations on the issues of Russian- 10 ÿíâàðü 2009 ¹ 5 ÌóðìàíøåëüôÈíôî Norwegian Cooperation in the North were organized, during which proposals of the Norwegian side were considered to create in the area of Russian-Norwegian border the zone of trade and economic cooperation - Pomor Zone. Norwegian side has expressed an offer significantly to modify its proposal, so that creation of the zone did not compete with the development of the Murmansk Transport Hub, but, vice versa, promoted its development. The Government of the Murmansk region supports the proposal of the Norwegian side concerning the Pomor Zone, formation of which in the long view could promote intensification of the Russian- Norwegian cooperation, development of industrial integration, directed primarily at maintaining the future oil and gas activity in the Barents Sea. Supporting this project, we believe that its implementation needs detailed full- scale research. Practical work with the Norwegian partners should be ledwithin the frameworks of special Russian-Norwegian working group, which will prepare expert estimation and verification of expedience and possibility to create Pomor Zone, also taking into consideration implementation of the project Complex Development of the Murmansk Transport Hub. - And what are the hopes, connected with the first Murmansk Economic Forum? - Work on preparation of the Murmansk International Forum has entered its active phase. The working group has developed the concept of the forum. The dates for the forum are fixed – 15-17 October 2009. Organizational Committee is appointed. We hope that the result of the Forum will be activation of investment and external economic activity, development of industrial partnership in the Barents Euro-Arctic Region, improvement of cross-border cooperation. We shall invite to Murmansk people representing federal and regional public authorities, representatives of contiguous countries, industrialists, entrepreneurs from different business spheres, experts, scientists, representativesofinternationalcompanies. The scope of questions to be discussed at the forum will include development of the economy under new conditions, as well as creating of favorable environment for assimilation of large-scale investments and efficient cooperation. Opening of the Murmansk region's presentation in Helsinki.