Karasjok

Defying some of the airport snag, I spent a day and a half in Karasjok for a series of meetings in the framework of the regular dialogue we have with representatives of the Sami people. I was received by Mr Egil Olli, President of the Sami Parliament and I had meetings with representatives of the Sami Council, of Finnmarkseiendommen, of Landsorganisation Sami Duodji as well as with reindeer herders and salmon fishermen. I also gave an interview to NRK.

This journey to Finnmark served one purpose: to understand better how things look like from the Karasjok angle and convey this picture to Brussels. So I went there to see, to listen and to learn.

Finnmark is about sustaining traditions in vast spaces and extraordinary circumstances. Nevertheless, many of the EU's policies and decisions have an impact also there, either through their incorporation into Norwegian law or due to intense cooperation with the neighbouring territories of EU members Finland and Sweden.

Specific issues treated during my visit included marketing of reindeer meat and duodji products, fisheries management and protection of the environment. We discussed the EU's Arctic Policy, its contribution to cooperation and application for observer status in the Arctic Council. We talked about the Sami Parliament's project to develop the Sami language - which gets significant EU financial support. With Mr Olli, we also spoke about the plan to convoke a world conference of indigenous peoples under the auspices of the United Nations in 2014.