"Spy is something other than 'foreign agent'"

It tells director of the Nordic Council of Ministers' local representation, the so-called information office in St. Petersburg, Finnish Mika Boedeker. "We have been informed by Russia that the appeal is expected to come before a local court in St. Petersburg, and we hope we know the outcome of the court's ruling on 20. April, ”says Boedeker. Actor vs. spy. Continue the business, but accept the stamp of "foreign agent". That is the answer the information office has received from the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow. Â “But we are not talking about secret services or hostile intelligence. Spying is something else, ”Boedeker CEO emphasizes. And he gets the support of one of his employees who can best explain the Russian attitude and mentality, Vice President Elena Golubeva. She is Boedeker's second in command among the eleven Russian local staff in St. Petersburg. "If you put the word 'foreign' in front of an agent, it sounds very bad in the ears of the Russians," Golubeva said. "At the same time, the word 'agent' is more or less the same as the word 'actor' in Russian contemporary understanding, whereas in the Western sense, Russia is a stronger match between the word 'agent' 'And' spy '. â € œThe Agentâ € may sound innocent in Nordic languages. However, if you put foreign in front of the word agent in Russian, it is synonymous with something that is hostile to Russia. ” between Russia and the Nordic countries – a cooperation that has been fruitful for almost 20 years since it started from 1996. Nordic offices have been established in North-West Russia, besides St. Petersburg as well in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Petrozavodsk and further south of the Kaliningrad enclave. Together, the offices have compared a population of officially 11 million Russians (unofficially 13-14 million, because many remain unregistered in St. Petersburg). The collaboration has been about public administration, research and education, economic development, support for civil society and work related to Nordic institutions. What triggered the difficulties? Wanted to change the rules. "We collaborated with an organization here in St. Petersburg that wanted to improve the contact and case processing between the unemployed and the authorities, by creating systems that would allow individuals to apply using electronic forms, ie digital, and then get answers direct. The Russian authorities did not want to accept this, and expressed that this was interference in internal political affairs, "says Mika Boedeker. "We see it as a technical-administrative measure to streamline something in the Russian system, and only that," he continues. Elena Golubeva elaborates: "Based on the survey on Russian unemployed, and the proposals for measures to improve communication between the unemployed and the authorities, the Russians have chosen to see our work as a political activity suitable to influence 'public' public opinion, and to influence Russian decision-makers, "she says, and continues:" We see it as the Russian organization, which we do not want to name so that the employees there will not get into trouble [ie an NGO – a non-governmental organization], came with proposals and positive solutions to simplify bureaucracy. I note that our proposals have led the Russian authorities to believe that we have been and are too 'effective'. We have been too visible and influenced Russian society and the Russians too much, it seems, "states Golubeva, who is also careful to emphasize that neither the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian business and local Russian authorities have ever expressed that it has been somewhat negatively criticized by the work done by the office. "It is not Russia, but the Nordic Council and the Nordic governments that have decided that the activity will cease. We have not terminated any agreements, but have been clearly informed that we can continue our activities if we accept Russia's view, labeled as a 'foreign agent'. The Nordic governments do not want this, as if we were a kind of private organization, or a civilian non-governmental organization, a so-called NGO. We represent the Nordic authorities, and can not operate under such conditions as Russia now assumes. " Defined as an NGO. By April 20, the outcome of the appeal against Russia's decision will apparently be decided in a court in St. Petersburg, according to Boedeker. He has relatively little faith in a changed Russian attitude. At the moment, all activity has been discontinued. This has been the case since the message came from the Foreign Ministry in Moscow on January 23 until now. "We did not find out for ourselves what the situation was until Christmas Day, December 2, 26, when we found ourselves on the list. The Russian Ministry of Justice has over 2014 organizations that they have characterized as 'foreign agents' – a political activity funded from abroad. That we fall into that category is strange, but it is based on the wording of the original agreement that was entered into with Russia. It says that we are to be regarded as an NGO. Unfortunately, I would say, as a lawyer, because we are a representation on behalf of the Nordic public authorities, "he says, and continues:" When the Secretary General of the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers, Norwegian Dagfinn Høybråten, has recommended and received support from all The countries' ministers are due to the fact that the Nordic countries cannot accept a reporting obligation to Russia on all financial transactions, and on management and operations at least twice a year. But we have about 40 projects that must be completed, and we intend to do so. We do not yet know how they or any of them will continue. " Always cooperation. Boedeker says that there has never been any activity among those who have not been in cooperation with the Russians. "That is why we are astonished. All the many projects have come about and taken place as a collaboration between Russian city authorities, the Russian state, private Nordic organizations and Nordic authorities. " Boedeker is in the former Russian capital for the seventh year – since 2009 – and has participated in the development that has led to Russia's decision on the office's activities. Boedeker is himself a lawyer, and knows both Nordic and Russian law. "It is a fact that the office here has evolved from being an information office to becoming an office and an institution for the development of democratic institutions, with specialized labor in both the public and private sectors as target groups," he emphasizes. "What the Nordic countries are losing in the current situation is stability, security and work for mutually positive development throughout the region," said Mika Boedeker, who also reminded that Finland has 200 diplomats and other representatives present in northwestern Russia, while Sweden and Denmark each have three. By comparison, Norway has a single diplomat in St. Petersburg.

 Nordic Council of Ministers in North-West Russia

It has been decided to close the Nordic Council of Ministers' information offices in North-West Russia. It happened on Wednesday last week when the Nordic co-operation ministers met for a meeting in Greenland. The office in St. Petersburg is and has been the head office of the business in Northwest Russia, with branch offices in Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk and Kaliningrad, and also relates to the counties of Novgorod and Vologda. The latter two do not formally participate in the collaboration. Created by the Nordic governments through the Nordic Council, and in a community between Denmark, Iceland, Norway. Finland, Sweden, Åland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Collaborates on politics, economics and culture, with emphasis on democracy development, cross-border activities with significance for both the Nordic countries and North-West Russia, in addition to cooperation with NGOs, ie organizations in Russian civil society. Has had an annual budget of approx. NOK 20 million (DKK), and supported projects with an average of NOK 800–000 (DKK). The Nordic Council is an interparliamentary forum established in 2, and has included government co-operation since 000. The secretariat is located in Copenhagen. The office in St. Petersburg and its sub-offices have during the 000 years it has existed had approx. 1952 participants in various activities, arranged more than 1971 seminars, and hundreds of study trips.

"Not heard"

Secretary General Dagfinn Høybråten (KrF) has been in dialogue with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but must state that the conclusion is negative. "We have had high-level talks in the Russian Foreign Ministry, but must now state that we are not getting anywhere. Their conclusion is that we will be branded as a foreign agent in the foreseeable future, "says Høybråten to Aftenposten. "What is the Russian rationale?" "It simply came to our notice then. They believe that we run a political activity that is financed from abroad. " "Is this legislation on foreign-funded agency activities aimed at NGOs, ie non-governmental organizations?" "Yes, we believe that we are not an NGO, but are not heard about it," the general secretary told Aftenposten. " Høybråten emphasizes that the Nordic Council of Ministers has now tried all possibilities, both formally and politically, without success. "We have run an extensive collaboration in Western Russia, with study visits, conferences and joint projects for 20 years. Our business has not changed in character, so it is the development in Russia that makes us where we are today. "

"Unacceptable for the Nordics"

At the Nordic Council of Ministers' office in St. Petersburg, there are still 11 employees who will initially conduct "people-to-people" co-operation and maintain contact with Russian bureaucrats and civilian groups. Last year, they organized 80 seminars with a total of 4700 participants. "It is unacceptable for the Nordic countries' governments to continue their activities under the status of foreign agent," says the Danish leader of the group of Nordic co-operation ministers, Carsten Hansen, in a press release. When the accusations of agency came, Norwegian researchers stated that this was a direct consequence of the Ukraine crisis and the sanctions against Russia. "The Russian authorities provide many kinds of answers to the Ukraine crisis and the European sanctions. This is obviously a 'thank you for last', "said senior adviser Cecilie Hellestveit at the International Law and Policy Institute (ILPI) in Oslo. The letter from the Russian prosecuting authorities in February stated that the company has "features of a political nature". Specifically, it was a project in which the participants examined the support for the unemployed in Russia. They saw that the application procedure could be simplified, and sent a proposal to this effect to the authorities. The office has largely been a contact for, and supported, Russian civil society, and the exchange of knowledge and activities has been great, not least in the field of culture.