On May 30 to June 2, 2023 the representatives of the Development Council of the Vidzeme Planning Region visited Norway and learned about issues related to regional development and the daily work of municipalities within the FUND FOR BILATERAL RELATIONS in order to learn the best experience of the municipalities  of Norway in cooperation with entrepreneurs, promoting their involvement in municipal development planning processes and decision-making process; to get to know the Norwegian experience and regional support programs for business and investments; to introduce the Norwegian municipalities with cooperation opportunities with Latvia in order to jointly implement projects and business support activities in the future

On the first day of the visit, a meeting was organized in Oslo at the Association of Norwegian Municipalities learn  the Scandinavian experience of the administrative-territorial reform and  how it was organized and what opportunities it brought. The delegation visited the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in the Kingdom of Norway (Embassy of Latvia in Norway), and met the representatives of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency – LIAA in Norway in order to learn more about cooperation between Latvia and Norway in the business sector.

On May 31 the experience exchange visit continues – Fredrikstad City Council (Fredrikstad kommune) welcomed the delegation from Latvia  to discuss issues of education, cultural development and urban planning, as well as the impact of these activities on the economic growth of the municipality.

Business development issues are on the agenda in the programm – a conversation about the daily work of the business development department is planned in Fredrikstad municipality, and visits to the innovation park, university and other institutions and companies will also be organized.

On June 2,  the visit will continue to Indre Østfold (Indre Østfold kommune) to meet with the vice mayor of the municipality, to discuss the business development strategy with the responsible persons. Visits to several companies are also planned. What you have seen and heard will be useful in the work of local municipalities.

The delegation consists of: Chairman of the Development Council of the Vidzeme Planning Region Guntis Gladkins, Vice-Chairmen of the Development Council Inese Suija-Markova (Cēsis), Gints Sīviņš (Ogre County) and Dagnis Straubergs (Limbažu County), also VPR representatives – Head of the Development and Projects Department Laila Gercāne and Project Manager Rita Merca.

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The visit was organized from May 30 to June 2, 2023 within the framework of the project "Study visit of representatives of the Development Council of the Vidzeme Planning Region to the municipalities of the Viken region in Norway" within the Bilateral Cooperation Fund initiative of the EEA program.