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Crossing Continents: Norway and Russia: An Arctic Friendship Under Threat

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Norway and Russia: An Arctic friendship under threat

12/11/2015

Norway and Russia: An Arctic Friendship Under Threat

BBC Radio 4 - Crossing Continents, Norway and Russia: An Arctic Friendship Under Threat

The sacking of a newspaper editor strains an old friendship between Norway and Russia.

Tim Whewell reports from the very far north of Norway on the sacking of a Norwegian newspaper editor and the threats to a special relationship with Russia.

In Norway, the sacking of a newspaper editor, allegedly after pressure from Russia, has caused a political storm over media freedom, and raised questions over what price the country should pay for good relations with its powerful eastern neighbour. Thomas Nilsen is a veteran environmental activist who edited a paper in the far north of Norway, in a region which has enjoyed a unique cross-border relationship with Russia. Now that's threatened by rising tension between Russia and NATO. And relations have been further strained by the flow of refugees, now coming through Russia into the far north of Norway. Tim Whewell reports on what it means for the Norwegian outpost of Kirkenes, where Norwegians and Russians work closely together in the oil and fishing business and where cooperation and friendship go back decades.

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