The Barents Region

Regional Cooperation in Arctic Europe

The Barents Region is immensely rich in minerals, petroleum, and fishery resources, and is of interest to Europe as a whole. It is also extremely militarized and environmentally vulnerable. With over 200 naval nuclear reactors, and more strategic nuclear weapons than anywhere else in the world, it is the apex of the Cold War structures, and its importance extends far beyond the confines of Arctic Europe. The Barents Region surveys regional cooperation in Arctic Europe. With contributions from leading Scandinavian and Russian scholars on Northern affairs, this volume examines the Barents Region as a political initiative, with its historical and institutional architecture, and its contributions to economic and environmental management in the North. Particular attention is paid to the impact of the Barents Region on security in Arctic Europe and its relationship to the wider process of European integration. Students and scholars in international relations, comparative politics, military studies and environmental studies will find this volume to be an invaluable resource. "This new collection of essays, the first two by Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev and the late Norwegian Foreign Minister Johan Holst, presents a heartening and authoritative picture of post-Cold War diplomacy and international cooperation. These 18 essays are a useful addition to the literature or European arctic and post-Cold-War diplomacy." --Choice