Russia withdraws from the Barents Council. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the reason is that the country is denied the presidency in October, which it would have been according to a previous schedule.
This despite the fact that all members have suspended cooperation with the country after the invasion of Ukraine.
The presidency rotates every two years, and the current presidency, Finland, refuses to pass the baton to Russia next month.
Russia puts all the blame on the other members, that is Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland and the EU Commission.
“The current political situation is not in harmony with the long-term interest of the region’s inhabitants,” complains Russia.
The Barents Council, where the members’ foreign ministers meet, was created in 1993 to promote stability and sustainable development in the Barents region.