Nordic Council of Ministers

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Nordic Council of Ministers

• Information Office of the Nordic Council of
  Ministers in Saint Petersburg
• 2006

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Nordic Council of Ministers in Northwest Russia

• Office in Saint Petersburg (1995)
• Contact centers in Arkhangelsk, Murmansk
  Petrozavodsk
• Office in Kaliningrad (2006)
• ?urmansk, ?rkhangelsk, ?arelia, Pskov, Novgorod,
  Kaliningrad, Saint Petersburg and Leningrad
  oblast/district
• NCM has no activities in Komi and Nenets
• Totally 14 million inhabitants
• Territory 1 678 000 sq.km2 (approximately 10 of
  the Russian Federation)

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Nordic Council of Ministers Information Office in
Saint Petersburg

• 13 employees in Saint Petersburg, including the
  Director
• 3 employees in the information centers in Barents
  region
• The Director comes from a Nordic country, other
  members of the staff can be citizens of Russia or
  Nordic countries
• Working languages Russian, Swedish, Norwegian,
  Danish, Finnish and English
• The Director reports directly to the Secretary
  General of the Nordic Council of Ministers in
  Copenhagen

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Main tasks/responsibilities of the office

• Assist the Nordic Councils
• Support and strengthen the co-operation between
  state, regional and municipality bodies in Nordic
  countries and NW Russia
• Support and strengthen the co-operation between
  NGOs and other national and international
  organisations
• Support and strengthen the co-operation between
  the Baltic states and NW Russia
• To work as Nordic Council of Ministers local
  supervisor
• Represents Nordic countries
• To work as a quality inspector within different
  programmes

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Information activities of 2006

• www.norden.ru
• Informationseminars in Saint Petersburg,
  Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk, Pskov,
  Ivangorod, Vyborg and Kaliningrad
• NCM Portal www.norden.org
• Personal consultation in the office
• Seminars, conferences, forums, information
  meetings, press - conferences
• Co-operation with mass media
• Meetings with representatives of Russian
  authorities
• Reports and press-releases to Copenhagen
• Co-operation with the Baltic - offices

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The New Russian Program

• Programme for 2006-2008
• Activities financed by the different Nordic
  councils in accordance with the overall gidelines
  (through direct contact with their Russian
  co-operation partners)
• Activities financed through realization of the
  Council of Ministers special policy for the
  neighboring countries

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The new Russian program 2006

• The major activities financed and condacted
• through the neighbourhood policy
• knowledge building and networking
• participation in the EUs Northern Dimension
• co-operation with the non governmental
• sector in NW Russia
• co-operation in the Barents Region

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The new Russian program 2006

• Knowledge building and networking
• Scholarship programmes
• Civil Servants Exchange programme supports
  stability, consistency and democracy in Russia
• NordProlink programme offers possibility to gain
  knowledge and experience of running enterprises
  in free market conditions
• Sleipnir-Adjacent Areas programme aims to
  increase mobility among young artists
• Cultural exchange programme for children and
  young people
• Young Politicians Exchange aims to pass on
  experiences of Nordic countries and
  representative democracy
• Nordplus Neighbour education exchange programme
  

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The new Russian program 2006

• Co-operation with EU partnerships within the
  framework of the Northern Dimension
• The Nordic countries participate in the Northern
  Dimention at national level according to national
  priorities
• Through the Council of Ministers the Nordic
  countries participate in 3 multilateral
  partnerships
• 1. Environmental partnership (NDEP)
• 2. Partnership in Public Health and Social
  Wellbeing
• 3. Partnership-style IT co-operation (NeDAP)
  

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The new Russian program 2006

• Co-operation with the non governmental
• sector in NW Russia
• The promotion of social structures that bolster
  constitutional democracy
• Support of civic and voluntary organisations
  that play an importend part in popular
  participation
• The new NGO programme
• The aim is increase in the activities and scope
  of NGO networks that play an important role in
  the process of democratisation

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The new Russian program 2006

• Co-operation in the Barents Region
• Co-operation has been facilitated by the fact
  that BC and BEAC have established working parties
  and programmes similar to those in which the
  Nordic Council of Ministers is involved
• The Nordic Council of Ministers and the Barents
  Euro-Arctic Council have similar objectives and
  working methods
• The work of NCM and BEAC overlaps in geographic
  terms
• Desireble an appropriate allocation of
  responsibilities between NCM, BEAC and BC
• The Nordic Council of Minicters informational
  centres in Murmansk and Archangelsk coordinate
  with Norwegian Barents Secretariat as far as
  possible

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Programmes 2006

• Project Financing
• Co-operation within the cultural sphere
• (children and youth)
• (DKK 225.000, Euro 30.000)
• Crossborder Co-operation (BEN, Euro-regions)
• (DKK 300.000, Euro 40.000)
• NGO programme
• (DKK 3 mln. Euro 400.000)

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Programmes 2006

• Exchange Programmes
• Exchange of Civil Servants
• (DKK 2 million, Euro 270.000)
• Nordplus Neighbour Education exchange
  programme
• (DKK 5 million, Euro 672.000)
• NordProLink Exchange programme for businessmen
• (DKK 1.75 million, Euro 235.000)

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Programmes 2006

• Sleipnir Cultural exchange programme
• (DKK 700.000 Euro 94.000)
• Closer Culture Neighbours Cultural exchange
  programme
• (DKK 200.000 Euro 26.000)
• Exchange programme for Parliamentarians
• (DKK 550.000 Euro 73.000)
• Exchange programme for Young Politicians
• (DKK 1,5 mln. Euro 198.000)

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Budget 2006

• The budget of the Nordic Council of Ministers is
  DKK 826 million (Euro 111 million)
• Approximately 20 is used for co-operation with
  Russia and the Baltic states (DKK 165 million,
  Euro 22 million)
• The budget of the Information Office in Saint
  Petersburg is DKK 6 million (Euro 800.000)
• In 2006 the main focus will be on Northwest of
  Russia and the new Russian country programme

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Exchange of Civil Servants

• Aim support and build networks and co-operation
  for state institutions and municipality
  structures between Russia, the Baltic states and
  Nordic countries.
• On state, regional and local levels

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Exchange of Civil Servants

• Participants
• ? State and municipal civil servants
• ? State and municipal organisations and
  structures
• ? Nordic experts, invited by civil structures of
  Northwestern Russia or the Baltic states

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Exchange of Civil Servants

• Possibilities exchange of experience, work with
  joint projects, study similar structures,
  professional growth, personal contacts.
• Receive/obtain a program certificate
• Financing
• Travel costs
• Accommodation
• visa, insurance
• Daily allowance
• 1) Individual travel
• 2) project (travel groups of max. 4 persons)

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Exchange of Civil Servants

• Requirements to participate
• Russian citizenship
• Foreign language skills (individual trip)
• Atleast one year of work experience as a civil
  servant in a state/municipal administration or
  with administration dealing with public
  institutions
• Host-organisations (minimum 2 organisations in
  the Nordic countries)
• Approval and support of employers
• No age limitations to participate
• Deadlines to apply
• March 15th and September 15th

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Exchange of Civil Servants

• Statistics on ECS, spring deadline
•  
• Region Applied Approved
• SPb 29 11
• Pskov 4 4
• Murmansk 11 5
• Arkhangelsk 7 3
• Petrozavodsk 15 6
• Kaliningrad 0 0
• Denmark 4 0
• TOTAL 70 29

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Exchange of young active politicians between
Northwestern Russia and Nordic countries

• The project finances study trips for young
  active politicians from the Northwest Russia to
  the Nordic Countries
• Financing
• Travel costs
• Accommodation
• Visa, insurance
• Daily allowance
• 1) Individual trip
• 2) Project (Travel groups of max. 3 persons)

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Exchange of young active politicians

• Requirements to participate
• Work experience within the framework of operating
  political party or movement or a non
  governmental organisation or union, be involved
  in political activity and directivity
• 34 years old or younger
• Knowledge of English, Finnish or any Scandinavian
  language
• Host organisations in two or more bodies in the
  Nordic Countries
• Deadlines to apply
• March 10, September 10

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• NordProLink
• "Nordic Professional Links"
• The aim of the programme
• Support small and medium sized businesses in
  Northwestern Russia
• Facilitate business contacts between Northwestern
  Russia and the Nordic countries
• Exchange experience, boost/improve the
  professional level

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• Requirements to participate
• Age 20 or older
• Knowledge of English, Finnish or a Scandinavian
  languague
• At least one year of work experience
• Work in a small or medium sized company (maximum
  250 employees)
• Acceptance and support of employer
• Host company
• Personal contacts
• Business partners
• Search through Internet

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• Grant conditions
• Duration of the visit to the host company from 1
  to 4 weeks (28 days)
• The grant must be used within 12 months
• The grant covers expenses on travel, visas, daily
  allowances and accommodation
• The grant will be paid according to 80 20
• 13 tax.
• The deadlines to apply are
• April 1st and October 1st

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Co-operation with EU partnerships within the
framework of the Northern Dimension

• NDEP
• The Nordic Council of Ministers participates in
  the partnership principally within the framework
  of the Nordic financial institutions because NDEP
  deals with a range of major infrastructure
  projects
• This co-operation is complemented by sectoral
  work on the environment, which is regarded as an
  important means of getting activities off the
  ground in North-West Russia.

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Co-operation with EU partnerships within the
framework of the Northern Dimension

• ND Partnership in Public Health and Social
  Wellbeing
• The Nordic Council of Ministers participates in
  the partnership on an equal footing with the
  other members
• The main priorities of the partnership are to
  combat infectious diseases (particularly
  HIV/AIDS) and life-style related illnesses, as
  well as to promote physical and social welfare
  through activities, diet, lifestyle habits and
  social interactions

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Co-operation with EU partnerships within the
framework of the Northern Dimension

• ND Partnership in Public Health and Social
  Wellbeing
• The Nordic Council of Ministers contributes by
  linking its programmes to partnership activities
  and providing co-ordination in the Region.
• Additionally the Council of Ministers has been
  providing a full-time staff member in the office
  in St. Petersburg who works with the
  partnership's secretariat. since 2005
• A cross-sectoral approach is fundamental to the
  Council of Ministers participation because of
  perspectives affecting children, young people and
  gender equality

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Co-operation with EU partnerships within the
framework of the Northern Dimension

• NeDAP (the Northern eDimension
  Action Plan)
• Partnership agreement on IT with the Council of
  the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and EU Commission as
  a part of NeDAP
• Within the framework of the Northern Dimension,
  NeDAP directs attention to the special political
  opportunities and challenges in the BSR relation
  to the knowledge society in general and
  information technology in particular.

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Co-operation with EU partnerships within the
framework of the Northern Dimension

• NeDAP (the Northern eDimension Action Plan)
• The co-operation builds on a joint plan, with
  various so-called 'action lines' in which
  participation varies. The financing is based on
  the own priorities of participants.
• NCM focuses its priority on two action lines
  within NeDAP
• 1.NeDAP Action Line 1 - Internet research
  development
• 2.NeDAP Action Line 6, - statistical
  indicators for the development of a knowledge
  society