OREANDA-NEWS. February 2, 2009. Russia did not sign the Financing Agreement in the INTERREG IV B Baltic Sea Programme by the deadline of 31 December 2008. That might sideline Northwest Russian regions in a number of cross-border project with Nordic and EU partners.

"Russia did not sign the Financing Agreement by the deadline of 31 December 2008 and therefore Russian partners cannot participate in the Baltic Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 under ENPI funding", a press release from the programme website informs.

The lack of Russian signature will be bad news also for cooperation in the Barents Region. The decision might eventually put the Barents 2010 Plus project on halt. In the Barents 2010 Plus, the 13 territorial administrations in the Barents Region, of which five are Russian (Murmansk and Arkhangelsk Oblasts, the Komi Republic, Nenets Autonomous Okrig and Republic of Karelia) have in the course of 2008 come together on an application to the program on a variety of projects. The application was hoped to be the main implementation tool for Barents Program 2009-2013 adopted in November 2008.

Anna Lund from the International Barents Secretariat confirms to that funding from the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Program is vital for the implementation of the new 2009-2013 Barents Programme.

The Interreg Baltic Sea Region Program is a financing tool for co-operation in the Baltic Sea Region, as well as for the more northern Barents Region. It is closely linked up with the priorities of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). From the Russian side, it is the Ministry of Regional Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which are responsible authorities.