EU has allocated ˆ 5 mln for the project "Northern sea corridor".

Now Norway and Russia discuss technical details of the project. It is planned, that the president of Russia and the prime minister of Norway will discuss this question in the beginning of 2003 during summit in Norway. Arkhangelsk and Murmansk areas take part in the project from the Russian side. To winter 2003 the question about inclusion of St. Petersburg in project will be solved. In opinion of the Norwegian side, the "Northern sea corridor" will create favorable conditions for increase of sea transportations, will widen cooperation in Europe, will promote development of ports and other infrastructure.

The "Northern sea corridor" is the Norwegian initiative in the framework of programs of EU "Northern measurement ". The corridor can be considered as the western section of Northern trading way. Transport system of the "Northern sea corridor" includes transportations of cargoes in the western part of Northern trading way from Kara straits up to the countries of Western Europe - Norway, Belgium, the Great Britain, Iceland, Greenland.

News source: gazeta.ru