New binding agreement between the Nordic countries

For a long time, Norway, Sweden and Finland have sought ways to cooperate across national borders in the north on transport issues. Over the past year, a joint platform has taken shape through coordinated efforts.

The transport authorities of the three countries have now signed a binding letter of intent. Those who sign commit to actively working toward further development of the cooperation where there is a need and an opportunity to do so.

“This gives us a shared direction and supports cooperation for our common good. It strengthens the platform we are building,” says Ine Hilling on behalf of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

This marks a new stage

The platform is called Platform North. The initiative was launched by the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket). The start-up was based on three main drivers, which are also reflected in the letter of intent:

• Industrial investments in the north
• The green transition
• Increased focus on military mobility

“The letter of intent marks a new stage. Now the joint work of facilitating Platform North is formalised between national governmental authorities, regional governmental authorities, politically governed regions, and business representative organisations operating in Northern Norway, Northern Finland and Northern Sweden”, says Helena Eriksson, chair of the Platform North Steering Committee.

Replacing the Barents Cooperation

An aggressive Russia, combined with Sweden’s and Finland’s recent NATO membership, has forced transport authorities in the north to recognize that real preparedness for war and crisis is not possible without open and accessible transport corridors between the countries — all the way from port, via road and rail, to the final destination.

The former framework for cooperation, the Barents Cooperation, had no future after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, authorities have been searching for a replacement, without Russia.

“In the current world of disarrays, there is a critical need for an interplay between national level, regional level and economics in the Northern Nordics. Platform North serves an arena for vital stakeholder discussions to better understand possibilities of cross-border cooperation to support the development of transport system and society.  The MoU for Platform North is an indication of various stakeholders willingness to work together for anticipated future”, says Jussi Houtari from the Lapland ELY-center.