According to Norwegian politician and the mayor of the Sor-Varanger municipality Rune Rafaelsen, Norwegian government should extend an invitation to Vladimir Putin to pay a state visit
In an interview, published by the Verdens Gang (VG) newspaper on Thursday, he explained that the visit can coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Finnmark.
“It will offer a wonderful opportunity for a friendly state visit. I believe that if a visit like that takes place, it would benefit Russian-Norwegian cooperation,” Rafaelsen said.
The opposition politician served as Secretary General of the Norwegian Barents Secretariat for 12 years until he left in 2014 to run for the elected office
During his tenure as the Norwegian Barents Secretariat’s head, he was tasked with practical aspects of regional cooperation with Russia.