At the NMC II conference in Aberdeen 16-18 May a pioneer Letter of Intention was signed between two regions in Norway and Russia. The North Sea Programme project Northern Maritime Corridor (NMC II) served as an important catalyst in the work leading up to the signing.

The agreement is an important step forward in the effort to bring countries in the North Sea and Russia closer to each other. It clearly shows the important role the North Sea Programme and other Interreg programmes can play in the development of the region.

" I look at the agreement between Rogaland and Nenets as a confirmation that the NMC project works as a networking platform for partners and organisations in the region ", says Olav Hauge, Project Manager of NMC II.

The Letter of Intention aims at increasing the cooperation between the regions in a number of areas, with extra attention given to oil and gas transportation.

Some 10 million tons of oil products are shipped southbound from North Western Russia annually and the volumes are likely to increase as the oil fields and production facilities in that region will be further developed in the years to come.

Increasing the level of cooperation between regions involved in this industry is vital in order to address the environmental, economic and socio-economic issues raised in the oil and gas trade. Close cooperation between Russia and other countries in the region is crucial in this work.

The Letter of Intention is not available in English as of yet. It will be posted on this website as soon as we receive it.

If you would like more information regarding the Letter of Intention or the NMC II conference, please contact Communications Officer Henrik Josephson at crbhj@vibamt.dk, +45 4117 1122.

NMC II in short
The NMC aims at promoting environmentally sustainable transport in the North Sea and Northern Periphery regions by promoting sea transport. The overall aim for the NMC II is to integrate the Northern Maritime Corridor into the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T).

Read more about the NMC II here.