Forced to toe the general western line of alienating Russia, Oslo is still trying to keep its cooperation with Moscow as much alive as it possibly can, the Klassekampen daily newspaper wrote on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Norway and Russia reached agreement on joint notification procedures in the event of a nuclear accident.
Norwegian Coast Guard representatives recently visited Archangelsk, and the Arctic Economic Council that opened in Tromsø earlier this week features Russia as one of its main participants.
It may not be long before the anti-Russian sanctions become history, primarily for economic, rather than political reasons, the newspaper noted.
With the situation is eastern Ukraine now stabilizing and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko saying that the ceasefire is taking hold and no casualties registered since September 1, the chances of lifting the sanctions look pretty real.
Europe also needs Russia to end the war in Syria, and Moscow could play a central role in the search for a diplomatic solution to the civil war, which has claimed over 200,000 lives since it erupted in March 2011, the newspaper wrote.
Europe has too many problems to deal with and it should avoid making thinks look even worse by antagonizing Russia.
With Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel, Petro Poroshenko and Francois Hollande scheduled to meet in Paris on October 2 to discuss the situation in Ukraine, chances are high that a much-needed “thaw” in East-West relations may finally come again, Klassekampen wrote in conclusion.
