Russia's Prosecutor General has classified the Barents Secretariat as an 'undesirable organization', according to an announcement on the Telegram channel of the Duma's commission for investigating foreign interference in Russia's internal affairs. The Barents Secretariat is the sixth organization in Norway declared 'undesirable' by Russia's Prosecutor General. The other organizations declared 'undesirable' are the Bellona Foundation, Human Rights House Foundation, Barents Observer, Nature and Youth, and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
The Barents Secretariat states on its website that it aims to contribute to creating better societies in Northern Norway through international cooperation with neighboring countries in the Barents region. It was established in 1993 to support Norway's role in the Barents Council. It later became a permanent institution and supported around 200 Norwegian-Russian cooperation projects annually, with its main office in Kirkenes.
If it is true, it worries me very little and has very little impact on us, since Russia is not part of our mission.
Until 2022, the secretariat also had offices in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, and Naryan-Mar, and previously in Petrozavodsk. The secretariat is owned by the county municipalities of Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark, but is primarily financed by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. Russia's Prosecutor General alleges that the Barents Secretariat stimulates protest activity and promotes LGBT environments.
The head of the Duma's commission considers the Prosecutor General's decision fair and logical, stating that the commission will continue its work to identify subversive organizations acting to the detriment of Russia. ' The specific evidence or incidents that led to the allegations have not been disclosed, and the legal or practical consequences for the Barents Secretariat remain unclear. The classification's impact on ongoing or future Norwegian-Russian cooperation projects in the Barents region is also unknown.